Effects of High-intensity Exercise Training on Physical Fitness, Cognition, Language in Post-stroke Aphasia

Exercising Language: Behavioral and Neurophysiological Changes After High-intensity Exercise Training in Post-stroke Aphasia

The goal of this clinical trial is to establish the feasibility and fidelity of a high-intensity exercise program for individuals with post-stroke aphasia. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Is it feasible for stroke survivors with aphasia to participate in a long in-person physical exercise program?
• Does participation in a physical exercise program lead to physical fitness, cognitive, language and/or psychological changes?

Participants can take part in two different physical exercise interventions:

• Low intensity intervention (control intervention);
• High-intensity physical exercise intervention (target intervention).

Inclusion Criteria:

• aphasia following single or multiple ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke;
• at least 6 months from the last stroke;
• proficient in English before the stroke;
• at least 8 years of education;
• between the ages of 18 and 80;
• independent with ambulation without a device (single-point cane accepted);
• medically stable with no contraindications to participate in regular physical exercise as determined by the patient's own primary care provider or other treating provider.

Exclusion Criteria:

• prior history of dementia, neurologic illness (other than stroke), or substance abuse;
• significant visual or hearing disabilities (e.g., neglect, uncorrected visual or hearing loss) that interfere with testing;
• per self-report uncontrolled cardiorespiratory and/or metabolic disorders incompatible with exercise.