Expected for acquisition movement exercise is more effective for functional recovery than simple exercise in a rat model of hemiplegia

Abstract

Background and purposeThe use of novel rehabilitative approaches for effecting functional recovery following stroke is controversial. Effects of different but effective rehabilitative interventions in the hemiplegic patient are not clear. We studied the effects of different rehabilitative approaches on functional recovery in the rat photochecmical cerebral infarction model.MethodsTwenty-four male Wistar rats aged 8 weeks were used. The cranial bone was exposed under deep anesthesia. Rose bengal (20 mg/kg) was injected intravenously, and the sensorimotor area of the cerebral cortex was irradiated transcranially for 20 min with a light beam of 533-nm wavelength. Animals were divided into 3 groups. In the simple-exercise group, treadmill exercise was performed for 20 min every day. In the expected for acquisition movement-training group, beam-walking exercise was done for 20 min daily. The control group was left to recover without additional intervention. Hindlimb function was evaluated with the beam-walking test.ResultsFollowing cerebral infarction, dysfunction of the contralateral extremities was observed. Functional recovery was observed earlier in the expected for acquisition training group than in the other groups. Although rats in the treadmill group recovered more quickly than controls, the beam-walking group had the shortest overall recovery time.ConclusionsExercise facilitated functional recovery in the rat hemiplegic model, and expected for acquisition exercise was more effective than simple exercise. These findings are considered to have important implications for the future development of clinical rehabilitation programs.

Defining Optimal Aerobic Exercise Parameters to Affect Complex Motor and Cognitive Outcomes after Stroke: A Systematic Review and Synthesis

“…Synthesized data from animal studies suggests that the timing of exercise initiation after stroke affects motor outcomes ( Table 2 ). Eleven studies of early-initiated FE (within 5 days) of low-to-moderate intensity (8–20 m/min, 20–30 min, 5–7 days per week) reported improved limb coordination during balance and complex locomotor tasks [ 17 – 19 , 21 – 24 , 31 , 32 , 37 , 38 ]. Less consistent results were found when assessing late onset FE (5–7 days after stroke) in animal models.…”

“…This review confirmed that primarily low-to-moderate FE (or VE) improved lower extremity coordination in rodents with stroke, which is not surprising considering that most training involves overground locomotion and therefore would likely improve performance in the same task. The timing of initiating the intervention affected functional outcomes as well, with early onset training (<5 days) appearing to be most beneficial [ 17 – 19 , 21 – 24 , 31 , 32 , 37 , 38 ]. Investigators employed a variety of tests to measure lower extremity and balance recovery in animal models ( Figure 2(a) ), some more challenging (and likely more sensitive) than others.…”