Study researcher Dr. Andreas Luft, a professor of clinical neurology and neurorehabilitation at the University of Zurich, compared the brain and physical function of 37 people who had had strokes and worked on a treadmill three times a week.
She compared them with 34 people who were given traditional stretching exercises that are usually recommended for stroke patients. After six months, the researchers found that peak walking velocity increased by 51 percent in the treadmill group and just 11 percent in the stretching group.
Cardiovascular fitness increased by 18 percent with the treadmill routine and patients had an increase of blood flow carrying more oxygen to the brainstem and cerebellum in the MRI test. However, cardiovascular fitness decreased by 3 percent in the group limited to stretching.
The average age of study participants was 63, and the average time they began the treadmill program was 50 months after the stroke, the authors noted.
The treadmill group also increased their walking speed and their fitness more than those in the stretching group. This is particularly important because stroke survivors' immobility can lead to cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Luft worked with physicians at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland and the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center on the study, which is published in the Aug. 29 issue of the journal Stroke. It emphasizes making treadmill workout as a part of long-term therapy programs for stroke survivors.
