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Protecting the Brain From Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment and Dementia With Multimodal Exercise Training
Sponsor: McGill University
Summary
The rates of cognitive decline and dementia after stroke are disproportionately high. Strategies that can protect the brain early after the stroke event could reduce the future risk of cognitive decline and dementia in these patients. Although physical exercise is usually recommended after stroke, there is very little information about the protective effect of exercise implemented in early stages of recovery as a potential protective measure against cognitive decline and dementia risk in these patients. This study will investigate the effect of a multimodal exercise intervention implemented early after the stroke event on cognition and on a selected group of markers that can predict cognitive decline and dementia risk.
Official title: Protecting the Brain From Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment and Dementia With Multimodal Exercise Training: A Bayesian Adaptive Trial (PROTECT)
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
40 Years - 80 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
120
Start Date
2026-03-09
Completion Date
2030-12-31
Last Updated
2026-07-06
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Multimodal Training
Training sessions, which will include resistance training followed by aerobic exercise training, will start with \~5 minutes of warm-up and end with \~5 minutes of cool down. Resistance training (20-30 minutes) will involve one day of upper limb, one day of lower limb and one day of full body exercises involving major muscle groups. Each session will include 5 exercises for 2-3 sets x 10 repetitions. Workloads will be increased from moderate to vigorous intensities (≥50-85% 1-RM; RPE≥14/20) by adding movement modifications and/or increasing resistance to ensure progressive overload. The first 4 weeks of aerobic exercise will involve 20 minutes of moderate intensity continuous training (40-60% HRR; RPE\<13/20). The following 4 weeks, will involve 3x4 minutes (long-interveral) high intensity interval training (HIIT) at ≥60-80% HRR; RPE=≥14-17. The last 4 weeks will involve 10, 1x1 minutes (short-interval) HIIT at ≥80-100% HRR; RPE≥17/20.
Balance, Toning and Stretching
Sessions will be performed at light intensity (\<40% HRR) and finalize with a 5-minute cool-down. During the 40-60 minute session, 5 to 6 exercises (2-3 sets x 10 reps) involving balance, toning and stretching will be performed. Participants will progress through increasingly challenging exercises (e.g., reduce base of support in balance exercises), but they will aim to maintain a HRR \<40%.
Locations (2)
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital
Laval, Quebec, Canada