Functional Outcomes in Patients With Cerebral Infarction After Aquatic Physiotherapy and Aerobic Exercise

October 7, 2026 updated by: Ieva Žemaitienė, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

Changes in Functional Outcomes in Patients With Cerebral Infarction Following Aquatic Physiotherapy and Aerobic Exercise

The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in functional outcomes in patients with cerebral infarction following aquatic physiotherapy and aerobic exercises during the second stage of rehabilitation.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

45 years to 74 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Muscle strength of 4-5 points, assessed using manual muscle testing.
  • Ability to walk independently or with the use of an assistive device.
  • Stable cardiovascular status, based on the results of a physician's examination and the participant's medical history.
  • First-ever cerebral infarction.
  • Participants aged 45-74 years.
  • Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 11-30 points, based on the patient's medical records and the assessment performed by psychologists working at Kulautuva Rehabilitation Hospital.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Muscle strength of less than 4 points, assessed using manual muscle testing.
  • Inability to walk independently or with the use of an assistive device.
  • Unstable cardiovascular status (uncontrolled arterial hypertension, angina --pectoris, cardiac arrhythmias, and other contraindications).
  • Recurrent cerebral infarction.
  • Participants younger than 45 years or older than 74 years.
  • MMSE score below 11 points.
  • Comorbidities that limit the ability to safely perform aquatic physiotherapy or aerobic exercises.
  • Contraindications to aquatic physiotherapy (open wounds, skin diseases, etc.).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Aquatic physiotherapy

Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of two intervention groups. The first group will receive aquatic physiotherapy for 30 minutes, 3 times per week, in addition to conventional physiotherapy for 60 minutes, 5 times per week. Participants will be allocated to the aquatic physiotherapy group using randomization to minimize selection bias and ensure comparable distribution of participants between the two groups.
Behavioral: Aquatic physiotherapy

Aquatic physiotherapy will consist of a structured exercise program performed in water under the supervision of a physiotherapist. Each session will last 30 minutes and will be performed 3 times per week.
Experimental: Aerobic exercises

Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to one of two intervention groups. The second group will receive aerobic exercise for 30 minutes, 3 times per week, in addition to conventional physiotherapy for 60 minutes, 5 times per week. Participants will be allocated to the aerobic exercise group using randomization to minimize selection bias and ensure comparable distribution of participants between the two groups.
Behavioral: Aerobic exercises

Aerobic exercise will consist of a continuous 30-minute cyclical aerobic exercise session performed on a stationary bicycle under the supervision of a physiotherapist. The session will be performed 3 times per week.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Thirty-Second Sit-to-Stand Test
Time Frame: Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation

The Thirty-Second Sit-to-Stand Test will be used to assess lower-extremity muscle strength by measuring the number of complete sit-to-stand repetitions performed in thirty seconds. Minimum 0 repetitions, no fixed maximum; higher scores indicate better lower-extremity functional strength.
Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation
Six-Minute Walk Test
Time Frame: Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation

The Six-Minute Walk Test will be used to assess functional exercise capacity by measuring the distance walked during six minutes. Six-Minute Walk Test: minimum 0 meters, no fixed maximum; greater distances indicate better walking endurance.
Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation
Ten-Meter Walk Test
Time Frame: Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation

The Ten-Meter Walk Test will be used to assess walking speed by measuring the time required to walk ten meters. Minimum 0 seconds, no fixed maximum; lower completion times indicate better walking performance.
Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Barthel Index
Time Frame: Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation

The Barthel Index will be used to assess the patient's independence in activities of daily living. Minimum 0, maximum 100; higher scores indicate greater independence in activities of daily living.
Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Time Frame: Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index will be used to assess the patient's sleep quality and sleep disturbances. Minimum 0, maximum 21; higher scores indicate worse sleep quality.
Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation
Systolic Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation

Systolic blood pressure will be measured to assess the cardiovascular response to physical exercise. Measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg); no fixed minimum or maximum values; higher or lower values are not inherently better or worse, as interpretation depends on the clinical context.
Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation
Diastolic Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation

Diastolic blood pressure will be measured to assess the cardiovascular response to physical exercise. Measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg); no fixed minimum or maximum values; higher or lower values are not inherently better or worse, as interpretation depends on the clinical context.
Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation
Heart Rate Measurement
Time Frame: Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation

Heart rate will be measured to assess the cardiovascular response to physical exercise. Heart rate measured in beats per minute (bpm); no fixed minimum or maximum values; higher or lower values are not inherently better or worse, as interpretation depends on the clinical context.
Before and after 3 weeks of rehabilitation

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 22, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 2, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 7, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • BE-2-65/2026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Coded, de-identified individual participant data collected before and after the intervention will be shared, including results of the 6-Minute Walk Test, 10-Meter Walk Test, 30-Second Sit-to-Stand Test, Barthel Index, Sleep Quality Index questionnaire, as well as blood pressure and heart rate measurements.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

6 months after publication of the primary study results.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Access to the coded, de-identified individual participant data and supporting information will be provided to qualified researchers upon reasonable request and approval by the study investigators. Access will be granted for scientifically valid research purposes and subject to applicable ethical and data protection requirements. Researchers will be able to access the individual participant data and study protocol. Requests for access should be submitted to the study investigators.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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