Synergistic Benefits of Combined Aerobic and Cognitive Training on Fluid Intelligence and the Role of IGF-1 in Chronic Stroke

Background. Paired exercise and cognitive training have the potential to enhance cognition by “priming” the brain and upregulating neurotrophins. Methods. Two-site randomized controlled trial. Fifty-two patients >6 months poststroke with concerns about cognitive impairment trained 50 to 70 minutes, 3× week for 10 weeks with 12-week follow-up. Participants were randomized to 1 of 2 physical interventions: Aerobic (>60% VO2peak using 6 months poststroke. Participants with more robust improvements in cognition were able to upregulate higher levels of serum IGF-1 suggesting that this neurotrophin may be involved in behaviorally induced plasticity.