The Effect of Combined Therapy of Exercise and Nootropic Agent on Cognitive Function in Focal Cerebral Infarction Rat Model

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effect of combined therapy of exercise and nootropic agent on cognitive function in a focal cerebral infarction rat model. Method Forty 10-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to photothrombotic cerebral infarction of the left parietal lobe. All rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: group A was photothrombotic cerebral infarction rats without any treatment (n=10); group B was photothrombotic cerebral infarction rats with swimming exercise (n=10); group C was photothrombotic cerebral infarction rats with oral administration of acetyl-L-carnitine (n=10); group D was photothrombotic cerebral infarction rats with swimming exercise and oral administration of acetyl-L-carnitine (n=10). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Morris water maze test on the 1st day, and the 1st, 2nd, and 4th week after the induction of cerebral infarction. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the hippocampus were measured. The neuronal cells of the hippocampus were histopathologically evaluated. Results The escape latency was shorter in groups B, C, and D than in group A. However, the differences were not statistically significant at the 1st, 2nd and 4th week. The activity of SOD was the highest in group D. The level of MDA was the lowest in group D. We observed more normal neuronal cells in groups B, C, and D. Conclusion The combined therapy of exercise and nootropic agent was helpful in ameliorating oxidative stress in the focal cerebral infarction rat model. However, the effect did not translate into improvement of cognitive function.

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

“…Consistent findings in animal models suggest that very intense AE protocols 2–4 days after stroke may not benefit spatial memory. For example, four weeks of forced swimming (20 min/day, 5 days/week, 24 hours after stroke) [ 59 ] did not improve spatial memory in the Morris Water Maze test. In addition, Shih and colleagues [ 60 ] found that low intensity, beginning 24 hours after stroke, but not high intensity swimming improved spatial memory.…”

The Effects of Antecedent Exercise on Motor Function Recovery and Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression after Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Rats

“…Stroke patients display various symptoms and disabilities such as motor and sensory weakness, cognitive impairment, perceptual disorders and limitations in daily activities19 ) . Several physical therapeutic interventions such as exercise, exposure to an enriched environment and rehabilitation enhance functional recovery after stroke20 ) .…”

The Effects of Exercise on Cognitive Recovery after Acquired Brain Injury in Animal Models: A Systematic Review

“…The findings of Hicks et al [ 50 ] were echoed by Song et al [ 51 ], who used photothrombosis to induce cerebral stroke in rats. One day after injury the animals were swim-exercised in a circular pool for 4 weeks (a total of 20 days), or given Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) injections, or both.…”

“…The forced exercise paradigm sessions lasted between 5 min and 1 hour; eight of those studies used 30 min session durations. By and large, the animals exercised/or had access to exercise apparatuses on a daily basis throughout the intervention period except in two studies that distributed the intervention somewhat differently [ 47 , 51 ], as well as one study that exercised animals twice daily [ 55 ].…”