Effectiveness of an Exercise Therapy Program Based on Sports in Adults With Acquired Brain Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial

To examine the effects of a sport-based exercise therapy (ET) program combined with usual care (sET+UC) compared with usual care (UC) alone on health-related quality of life, upper limb motor control, functional capacity, mobility, balance, and physical activity participation in ambulant adults with acquired brain injury (ABI). Single-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. Rehabilitation center. Twenty-three adults with ABI (82.6% stroke; 17 men; mean age of 59.6±10.3y). Participants received either sET+UC (n=11) or UC (n=12). The sET+UC group received sixteen 60-minute sessions of a sport-based ET program in addition to sixteen 60-minute sessions of UC, whereas the UC group attended UC only. Primary outcome measures were health-related quality of life (Short Form-36 [SF-36]) and upper limb motor control (Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity [FM-UE]), whereas the secondary included functional capacity (6-minute walk test and 10-meter walk test), mobility (timed Up and Go Test), balance (Berg Balance Scale), and physical activity participation (Global Physical Activity Questionnaire). Significant differences were found in all outcome analyses at postintervention when comparing between groups. The sET+UC group showed significant improvements in both the physical (P=.027, r=.46) and mental component summary (P=.001, r=.71) of the SF-36 as well as FM-UE (P=.004, r=.60), with large effect sizes. In turn, all secondary outcomes were also significantly improved in this group (all P.05). In contrast, the UC group showed slight improvements in postintervention scores but did not reach significance in any of these measures. This study shows that a sport-based ET program combined with UC can effectively improve all the aforementioned outcomes measures in ABI population. Further research with larger sample sizes and follow-up assessments is crucial to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the long-term effects of the intervention in this specific population.