Effects of Intermittent Exercise and Good Limb Training following Stroke in Mice
Submission Type
Event
Faculty Advisor
Abigail Kerr
Expected Graduation Date
2020
Location
Center for Natural Sciences
Start Date
4-4-2020 2:00 PM
End Date
4-4-2020 3:00 PM
Disciplines
Education | Neuroscience and Neurobiology
Abstract
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States with more than 795,000 occurring each year. The most common form, an ischemic stroke, results from the blockage of a cerebral blood vessel that deprives the brain of oxygen. A prevalent physical impairment seen in stroke victims is upper limb dysfunction. Stroke rehabilitation focuses largely on finding ways to accomplish activities of daily living that is usually achieved with compensatory mechanisms using the unimpaired limb. The current strategies that are focused on improving the impaired limb only obtain around 70% of its original ability. Aerobic exercise is known to have many benefits that may provide a recovery mechanism in stroke patients that reduces impairments and allows a better functional recovery. Previous rodent studies have demonstrated that exercise following stroke can ameliorate the maladaptive effects of compensation, producing outcomes that mimic pre-operative performance; however, the exact amount of exercise needed to produce these results is unknown. The current study examines the functional outcome of the bad limb following compensation and intermittent exercise using a mouse model of stroke. We hypothesize that allowing 12-hour access to exercise every other night will be sufficient in preventing deterioration from nonuse and also provide a means of rehabilitation for the impaired limb.
Effects of Intermittent Exercise and Good Limb Training following Stroke in Mice
Center for Natural Sciences
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the United States with more than 795,000 occurring each year. The most common form, an ischemic stroke, results from the blockage of a cerebral blood vessel that deprives the brain of oxygen. A prevalent physical impairment seen in stroke victims is upper limb dysfunction. Stroke rehabilitation focuses largely on finding ways to accomplish activities of daily living that is usually achieved with compensatory mechanisms using the unimpaired limb. The current strategies that are focused on improving the impaired limb only obtain around 70% of its original ability. Aerobic exercise is known to have many benefits that may provide a recovery mechanism in stroke patients that reduces impairments and allows a better functional recovery. Previous rodent studies have demonstrated that exercise following stroke can ameliorate the maladaptive effects of compensation, producing outcomes that mimic pre-operative performance; however, the exact amount of exercise needed to produce these results is unknown. The current study examines the functional outcome of the bad limb following compensation and intermittent exercise using a mouse model of stroke. We hypothesize that allowing 12-hour access to exercise every other night will be sufficient in preventing deterioration from nonuse and also provide a means of rehabilitation for the impaired limb.