title: Motor performance improved by exercises in cerebral ischemic rats.
abstract: Physical exercise may induce neuroprotective effects against brain damage after stroke. The authors aimed to investigate the effects of various exercises on motor function, striatal angiogenesis, and infarct volume in cerebral ischemic rats. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion and randomly assigned to 1 of the 4 groups: Rota-rod training, lower speed treadmill training, higher speed treadmill training, or no exercise control. Motor function, striatal angiogenesis, and infarct volume were evaluated before or after motor training. After training, motor function and striatal angiogenesis changed significantly in Rota-rod and higher speed treadmill training groups as compared with the control group. Improvement in motor function significantly correlated with striatal angiogenesis after motor training. Infarct volumes were significantly decreased in lower and higher speed treadmill training groups. The results indicated that both motor training procedures can be used as effective training programs in stroke rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yea-Ru
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Heng-Chih
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Paulus S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ray-Yau
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000379:methods / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley