title: Can brain-injured patients participate in an aerobic exercise programme during early inpatient rehabilitation?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the capacity of brain-injured patients to participate in an aerobic exercise programme early after injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of exercise achievements in patients participating in a randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety patients participated in an exercise training programme on a cycle ergometer at four inpatient neurological rehabilitation units for younger patients. At intake, impairments and function were rated on: Motricity Index, Ashworth Scale, Berg Balance Scale, Barthel Index and Functional Independence Measure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients cycled for up to 30 minutes three times weekly for 24-36 sessions over 12 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exercise performance was measured by: (a) number of sessions to achieve a cycling time of 30 minutes, (b) overall mean cycling time per session over 24 sessions and (c) mean time per session cycling at >60% of age predicted maximum heart rate (HR max) over 24 sessions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-five patients completed 24 sessions. Thirty-five withdrew, largely for logistic reasons, before completing training; they were significantly less disabled than the 55 who remained. Forty-four of the 55 patients trained for an average of at least 20 minutes per session, 18 training at >60% HR max for this time. There were no differences in performance on the three exercise parameters between two groups of patients with baseline Barthel scores of < or = 12 and > or = 13.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brain-injured patients with a range of disabilities have the capacity to participate in an exercise programme during early inpatient rehabilitation, though some may take longer to achieve adequate intensity of aerobic exercise.
authors.affiliation: Regional Rehabilitation Unit, Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, Middlesex, UK. dmj1@soton.ac.uk
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Turner-Stokes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Culpan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bateman
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Greenwood
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies