Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40637167›Full record

Trial reportNeurorehabilitation and neural repair2025

Modulating Brain Excitability with Cardiovascular Exercise in Chronic Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Lynden Rodrigues, Kevin Moncion, Bernat De Las Heras, Jacopo Cristini, Roya Khalili, Janice J Eng, Joyce Fung, Marilyn MacKay-Lyons, Alexander Thiel, Ada Tang and 1 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Neurorehabilitation and neural repair, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03614585 (Exercise Intensity Matters), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03614585 naunknown statusnot on this map

Exercise Intensity Matters: An Opportunity to Promote Neurorecovery and Cardiovascular Health in Stroke

TypeinterventionalSponsorMcGill UniversityRan2020 to 2024Enrolled80ConditionsStrokeArms12 weeks of High-intensity Interval Training, 12 weeks of Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Lynden RodriguesSchool of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montréal QC, Canada.
Kevin MoncionSchool of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-9556-1630
Bernat De Las HerasSchool of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montréal QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-8183-4696
Jacopo CristiniSchool of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montréal QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-5371-2023
Roya KhaliliSchool of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montréal QC, Canada.
Janice J EngDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, and Centre for Aging SMART at Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver BC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2093-0788
Joyce FungSchool of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montréal QC, Canada.
Marilyn MacKay-LyonsSchool of Physiotherapy, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-9917-3117
Alexander ThielDepartment of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal QC, Canada.
Ada TangSchool of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-6641-4017
Marc RoigSchool of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montréal QC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-1016-467X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCorticospinal excitability (CSE) is a surrogate measure of neuroplasticity within the corticospinal tract measured with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). A single bout of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) cardiovascular exercise (CE) have been both demonstrated to transiently augment CSE in people with stroke. However, the effect of multiple sessions of CE and exercise intensity is unknown.

objectivesWe conducted a randomized controlled trial (NCT03614585) to examine the effect of a HIIT vs. MICT CE program on CSE measures obtained using TMS applied on the ipsilesional (ILH) and contralesional (CLH) hemispheres.

methodsFifty-six individuals with cortical and/or subcortical stroke lesions in the chronic phase of stroke recovery (>6 months) were randomly assigned to a 12-week HIIT (n = 28) or MICT (n = 28) program. CSE measures were obtained at baseline and post-intervention. Linear mixed model analyses were conducted to compare changes in CSE measures and their respective interhemispheric ratios.

resultsCSE changes were not significantly different between HIIT and MICT but exploratory analyses showed that, when analyzed together, both groups increased resting motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude (

conclusionsChronic CE increases excitatory ILH CSE measures and reduces interhemispheric imbalances but intensity does not have a moderating effect. More studies are needed to determine the functional relevance of exercise-induced changes in CSE in post-stroke recovery.

Indexed as

Evoked Potentials, MotorExercise TherapyHigh-Intensity Interval TrainingMotor CortexPyramidal TractsStrokeStroke RehabilitationAdultAgedChronic DiseaseFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeuronal PlasticityTranscranial Magnetic Stimulationbrain excitabilitycardiovascular exerciseGABAglutamatestroketranscranial magnetic stimulation

Identifiers

PMID40637167
PMCPMC12476465

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.