Trial of Aerobic Exercise Training in Stroke Survivors

October 10, 2018 updated by: Alice S. Ryan, PhD, Baltimore VA Medical Center

Aging, Inflammation and Exercise in Chronic Stroke

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of treadmill training on inflammation in the skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, insulin action in the skeletal muscle, and whole body glucose metabolism in stroke survivors. The fundamental hypothesis of this study is that key inflammatory markers in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle are abnormal, skeletal muscle insulin signaling is impaired, and systemic insulin sensitivity is reduced in hemiparetic stroke patients and that these factors are modifiable and improved by exercise training in stroke patients.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Many stroke survivors are sedentary and are at risk for the development of diabetes. We will study the interactions of adipose tissue and the paretic and non-paretic muscle inflammation, insulin signaling and action in hemiparetic stroke patients and the ability to employ exercise training to reverse these abnormalities in this ethnically diverse population. Participants aged 40-75 years with chronic stroke will be randomized to treadmill training versus stretch control group using a one-two-one blocked randomization on race (black vs. white), sex (male vs. female), and glucose tolerance status (normal vs. impaired and type 2 diabetes).

Stroke occurs in over 780,000 persons each year in the U.S., the vast majority reported in persons older than 55 years of age. Following stroke, patients remain at continued high risk for recurrent stroke. Inflammatory processes lead to cardiovascular events/stroke and contribute to disease risk progression by impacting insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes. Interventions that reduce inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity have important clinical implications, especially in the stroke population.

Task-oriented treadmill training is utilized to improve cardiovascular fitness and functional mobility in hemiparetic stroke patients. Additionally, preliminary data indicates that progressive treadmill training in this population improves glucose tolerance.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

98

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 20705
        • University of Maryland, VAMC

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

Ages Eligible for Study

40 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke greater than or equal to 6 months prior with stable residual hemiparetic gait deficits
  • Already completed all conventional inpatient and outpatient physical therapy
  • Adequate language and neurocognitive function to safely participate in exercise testing and training
  • Men or women ages 40-75 years
  • Body mass index between 20 to 50 kg/m2
  • Non-smoker, or history of no smoking for more than 5 years
  • Under the care of a primary care medical provider

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Already performing aerobic exercise 3 times a week
  • Increased alcohol consumption defined as greater than 2 oz. liquor or 8 oz. of wine or 24 oz. of beer per day

  • Cardiac history of:

    1. unstable angina
    2. recent (less than 3 months prior to study entry) myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure
    3. hemodynamically significant valvular dysfunction

  • Medical History:

    1. recent hospitalization (less than 3 months prior to study entry) for severe medical disease
    2. peripheral arterial disease with vascular claudication
    3. orthopedic or chronic pain condition restricting exercise
    4. pulmonary or renal failure
    5. active cancer
    6. untreated poorly controlled hypertension measured on at least 2 occasions (greater than 160/100)
    7. type I diabetes mellitus, insulin therapy, untreated and/or poorly controlled diabetes with fasting blood glucose of greater than 160
    8. smoking within the last 5 years
    9. allergy to lidocaine
    10. medications: heparin, warfarin, lovenox, beta-blockers, oral steroids

  • Neurological history of:

    1. dementia with Mini-Mental Status Score less than 23 (less than 17 if education level at or below 8th grade), and diagnostic confirmation by neurologist or psychiatrist
    2. severe receptive or global aphasia which confounds testing and training, operationally defined as unable to follow 2 point commands
    3. hemiparetic gait from a prior stroke preceding the index stroke defining eligibility (more than one stroke)
    4. neurologic disorder restricting exercise, such as Parkinsons Syndrome or myopathy
    5. untreated major depression

  • Adipose tissue and muscle biopsy exclusion criteria:

    1. anti-coagulation therapy with heparin, warfarin, or lovenox (anti-platelet therapy is permitted)
    2. bleeding disorder
    3. allergy to lidocaine

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Aerobic Exercise
Treadmill training
Behavioral: Aerobic Exercise
Treadmill training- begins at 15 minutes total duration at 40-50% maximal heart rate reserve 3 times per week, increasing to 60-70% maximal heart rate reserve for 45-60 minutes for 6 months
Active Comparator: Stretch Control
Stretching exercises
Behavioral: Stretching
Stretching, balance exercises, and components of conventional physical therapy-- begins at 15 minutes and progresses to 45 minutes for 6 months

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
VO2peak
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months
maximal oxygen consumption during a treadmill test
Baseline and 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Whole body insulin sensitivity
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months
glucose utilization during a glucose clamp
Baseline and 6 months
Cytokines
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months
circulating TNF alpha levels
Baseline and 6 months
Body fat
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months
whole body percent fat
Baseline and 6 months
Muscle mass
Time Frame: Baseline and 6 months
whole body lean mass
Baseline and 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Baltimore VA Medical Center

Collaborators

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Alice S. Ryan, PhD, University of Maryland, VA Research Service
  • Principal Investigator: Charlene Hafer-Macko, MD, University of Maryland, VA Research Service, Department of Neurology

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Actual)

September 1, 2009

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 31, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

July 31, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 30, 2009

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 30, 2009

First Posted (Estimate)

May 1, 2009

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

October 11, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 10, 2018

Last Verified

October 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • AG0118
  • R01AG030075 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

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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