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The Effects of Poststroke Aerobic Exercise on Neuroplasticity: A Systematic Review of Animal and Clinical Studies

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Abstract

Aerobic exercise may be a catalyst to promote neuroplasticity and recovery following stroke; however, the optimal methods to measure neuroplasticity and the effects of training parameters have not been fully elucidated. We conducted a systematic review and synthesis of clinical trials and studies in animal models to determine (1) the extent to which aerobic exercise influences poststroke markers of neuroplasticity, (2) the optimal parameters of exercise required to induce beneficial effects, and (3) consistent outcomes in animal models that could help inform the design of future trials. Synthesized findings show that forced exercise at moderate to high intensity increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), nerve growth factor (NGF), and synaptogenesis in multiple brain regions. Dendritic branching was most responsive to moderate rather than intense training. Disparity between clinical stroke and stroke models (timing of initiation of exercise, age, gender) and clinically viable methods to measure neuroplasticity are some of the areas that should be addressed in future research.

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Abbreviations

AE:

Aerobic exercise

BDNF:

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor

EEG:

Electroencephalography

FE:

Forced exercise

fMRI:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

GAP43:

Growth-associated protein-43

IGF-I:

Insulin-like growth factor-I

NGF:

Nerve growth factor

MAP2:

Microtubule-associated protein 2

MEG:

Magnetoencephalography

PET:

Positron emission tomography

VE:

Voluntary exercise

VEGF:

Vascular endothelial growth factor

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the work of Chelsea Harris, Stephen Hogan, and Michael Monks in obtaining and cataloguing articles.

Conflict of Interest

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Compliance with Ethical Requirements

This article is a synthesis of human and animal study findings. Studies included in the review identified that they were in accordance with institutional and national guidelines for clinical and animal research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Recovery and Performance Laboratory, Rehabilitation Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, Rm 400, L.A. Miller Centre, 100 Forest Rd., St. John’s, NL, Canada

    Michelle Ploughman & Mark W. Austin

  2. Health Sciences Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada

    Lindsay Glynn

  3. Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Dale Corbett

  4. Heart and Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Dale Corbett

Authors
  1. Michelle Ploughman
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  2. Mark W. Austin
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  3. Lindsay Glynn
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  4. Dale Corbett
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michelle Ploughman.

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Ploughman, M., Austin, M.W., Glynn, L. et al. The Effects of Poststroke Aerobic Exercise on Neuroplasticity: A Systematic Review of Animal and Clinical Studies. Transl. Stroke Res. 6, 13–28 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12975-014-0357-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12975-014-0357-7

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