Subjects with chronic stroke (\> 6 months post-stroke) will learn a new walking pattern through distorted visual feedback. Retention of the pattern will be tested without visual feedback immediately after learning and 24 hours later. Subjects will be randomly assigned to the control group or the exercise group. The control group will simply complete the learning task. The exercise group will complete 5 minutes of exercise immediately following the first retention test to test for the effects of exercise on retention 24 hours later.
Despite significant time and money spent on post-stroke rehabilitation, stroke survivors are left with reduced walking capacity and significant disability. After stroke, individuals must relearn movements that have been disrupted due to damage to the brain, therefore, enhancing motor learning is critical to improving the rehabilitation of walking after stroke. In this project investigators will examine how individual factors influence motor learning after stroke and use this information to personalize post-stroke rehabilitation.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
80
Subjects will complete 5 minutes of exercise on an ergometer to examine the effects of exercise on retention of a newly learned walking pattern.
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware, United States
RECRUITING24 hour retention
This is amount of learning that was retained when subjects return 24 hours later and are tested without visual feedback
Time frame: 24 hours
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