Blood Flow Response and Acute INterval Exercise

Completed

• Conditions: Stroke; High Intensity Interval Exercise
• Interventions: Behavioral: Single, acute bout of high intensity interval exercise

• Registration Number: NCT04673994
• Lead Sponsor: University of Kansas Medical Center

Brief Summary

The objective of this project is to study the cerebrovascular response to a single bout of high intensity interval exercise (HIIT) in 25 individuals with chronic stroke compared to 25 age- and sex- matched healthy controls (CON). We will enroll 25 young healthy adults (CONyoung) as a reference group. Our hypothesis is that the cerebrovascular response in individuals with chronic stroke will be significantly lower: 1) during a single bout of HIIT, and 2) during the recovery immediately following and 30 minutes after HIIT, compared to CON.

This study has 2 visits at the University of Kansas Medical Center Research in Exercise and Cardiovascular Health Laboratory. For the first visit, we will perform questionnaires about heart health, physical activity and overall health. Participants will then complete a submaximal exercise test on a seated stepper. Participants will also have a familiarization session to practice HIIT. The second visit will include cerebrovascular measures before, during, immediately after, and 30 minutes after performing HIIT.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2020-12-08
• Study Start: 2020-12-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-12-14
• Study First Posted: 2020-12-17
• Status Verified: 2023-02
• Primary Completion: 2023-02-03
• Study Completion: 2023-02-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-02-07
• Last Update Posted: 2023-02-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 91

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 40-80 years old
• Treated for stroke 6 months to 5 years ago
• Performs <150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week
• Able to answer consenting questions and follow a 2-step command

Chronic Stroke

Exclusion Criteria

• Stroke etiology due to COVID-19 pathology.
• Symptoms of COVID-19 and/or Positive COVID-19 test within the past 3 months
• Unable to stand from a sitting position without physical assistance
• Recent joint replacement/surgery/poor motor control that limits ability to perform exercise on a recumbent stepper
• Insulin injection dependent diabetes
• Dependent on supplementary oxygen
• History of other neurological disease (Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease)
• Unable to find TCD signal on the stroke-affected or non-affected MCA.

CON Inclusion Criteria:

• Matched age ± 5 years to participant with chronic stroke
• Matched sex to participant with chronic stroke
• Performs <150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week
• Able to answer consenting questions and follow a 2-step command

CON Exclusion Criteria:

• Symptoms of COVID-19 and/or Positive COVID-19 test within the past 3 months
• Unable to stand from a sitting position without physical assistance
• Recent joint replacement/surgery/poor motor control that limits ability to perform exercise on a recumbent stepper
• Insulin injection dependent diabetes
• Dependent on supplementary oxygen
• History of other neurological disease (Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease)
• Unable to find TCD signal on the right or left MCA.

CONyoung Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18-30 years old
• Low cardiac risk (defined by the American College of Sports Medicine)
• Able to find TCD signal on the right or left MCA

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Chronic Stroke	Single, acute bout of high intensity interval exercise	Individuals 40-80 years old who have had a stroke 6 months to 5 years ago.
CON	Single, acute bout of high intensity interval exercise	Control group (CON) comprised of age- and sex-matched healthy adults.
CONyoung	Single, acute bout of high intensity interval exercise	Healthy, young adult control group (CONyoung) who are age 18-30 years old.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Middle Cerebral Artery Blood Velocity (MCAv)	Pre-to-post intervention, ~40 minutes	blood velocity traveling through the middle cerebral artery measured using the transcranial Doppler ultrasound.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Dynamic Cerebrovascular Autoregulation (dCA)	Pre-to-post intervention, ~40 minutes	Ability of the cerebrovascular system to maintain MCAv independent of changes in peripheral blood pressure. Measured using transcranial Doppler ultrasound and mean arterial pressure measured with every heart beat.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Kansas Medical Center; 🇺🇸 Kansas City, Kansas, United States