Gillian Mead

Exercise for depression

Depression is a common and important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is commonly treated with anti depressants and/or psychological therapy, but some people prefer alternative approaches such as exercise. There are a number of theoretical reasons why exercise may improve depression.

Physical Activity and Exercise Recommendations for Stroke Survivors A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association

Purpose— This scientific statement provides an overview of the evidence on physical activity and exercise recommendations for stroke survivors. Evidence suggests that stroke survivors experience physical deconditioning and lead sedentary lifestyles. Therefore, this updated scientific statement serves as an overall guide for practitioners to gain a better understanding of the benefits of physical activity and recommendations for prescribing exercise for stroke survivors across all stages of recovery. Methods— Members of the writing group were appointed by the American Heart Association Stroke Council’s Scientific Statement Oversight Committee and the American Heart Association’s Manuscript Oversight Committee. The writers used systematic literature reviews, references to published clinical and epidemiology studies, morbidity and mortality reports, clinical and public health guidelines, authoritative statements, personal files, and expert opinion to summarize existing evidence and indicate gaps in current knowledge. Results— Physical inactivity after stroke is highly prevalent. The assessed body of evidence clearly supports the use of exercise training (both aerobic and strength training) for stroke survivors. Exercise training improves functional capacity, the ability to perform activities of daily living, and quality of life, and it reduces the risk for subsequent cardiovascular events. Physical activity goals and exercise prescription for stroke survivors need to be customized for the individual to maximize long-term adherence. Conclusions— The recommendation from this writing group is that physical activity and exercise prescription should be incorporated into the management of stroke survivors. The promotion of physical activity in stroke survivors should emphasize low- to moderate-intensity aerobic activity, muscle-strengthening activity, reduction of sedentary behavior, and risk management for secondary prevention of stroke.

How well does the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project classification predict the site and size of the infarct on brain imaging

OBJECTIVES The Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project (OCSP) classification is a simple clinical scheme for subdividing first ever acute stroke. Several small studies have shown that when an infarct is visible on CT or MRI, the classification predicts its site in about three quarters of patients. The aim was to further investigate this relation in a much larger cohort of patients in hospital with ischaemic stroke. METHODS Between 1994 and 1997, inpatients and outpatients with ischaemic stroke were assessed by one of several stroke physicians who noted the OCSP classification. A neuroradiologist classified the site and extent of recent infarction on CT or MRI. RESULTS Of 1012 patients with ischaemic stroke, 655 (65%) had recent visible infarcts. These radiological lesions were appropriate to the clinical classification in 69/87 (79%) patients with a total anterior circulation syndrome, 213/298 (71%) with a partial anterior circulation syndrome, 105/144 (73%) with a lacunar syndrome, and 105/126 (83%) with a posterior circulation syndrome. Overall, 75% of patients with visible infarcts were correctly classified clinically. If patients without a visible infarct did have an appropriate lesion in the brain (best case), the classification would have correctly predicted its site and size in 849/1012 (84%) patients, compared with only 492/1012 (49%) in the worst case scenario. CONCLUSION The OCSP classification predicted the site of infarct in three quarters of patients. When an infarct is visible on brain imaging, the site of the infarct should guide the use of further investigations, but if an infarct is not seen, the OCSP classification could be used to predict its likely size and site.

Effects of Task-Oriented Circuit Class Training on Walking Competency After Stroke. A Systematic Review

Background and Purpose— There is increasing interest in the potential benefits of circuit class training after stroke, but its effectiveness is uncertain. Our aim was to systematically review randomized, controlled trials of task-oriented circuit class training on gait and gait-related activities in patients with stroke. Methods— A computer-aided literature search was performed to identify randomized, controlled trials in which the experimental group received task-oriented circuit class training focusing on the lower limb. Studies published up to March 2008 were included. The methodological quality of each study was assessed and studies with the same outcome variable were pooled by calculating the summary effect sizes using fixed or random effects models. Results— Six of the 445 studies screened, comprising 307 participants, were included. Physiotherapy Evidence Database scores ranged from 4 to 8 points with a median of 7.5 points. The meta-analysis demonstrated significant homogeneous summary effect sizes in favor of task-oriented circuit class training for walking distance (0.43; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.68; P<0.001), gait speed (0.35; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.62; P=0.012), and a timed up-and-go test (0.26; 95% CI, 0.00 to 0.51; P=0.047). Nonsignificant summary effect sizes in favor of task-oriented circuit class training were found for the step test and balance control. Conclusions— This meta-analysis supports the use of task-oriented circuit class training to improve gait and gait-related activities in patients with chronic stroke. Further research is needed to investigate the cost-effectiveness and its effects in the subacute phase after stroke, taking comorbidity into account, and to investigate how to help people maintain and improve their physical abilities after their rehabilitation program ends.

Stroke: a randomized trial of exercise or relaxation.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility and effect of exercise training after stroke.

Neuropsychiatric outcomes of stroke

The most common neuropsychiatric outcomes of stroke are depression, anxiety, fatigue, and apathy, which each occur in at least 30% of patients and have substantial overlap of prevalence and symptoms. Emotional lability, personality changes, psychosis, and mania are less common but equally distressing symptoms that are also challenging to manage. The cause of these syndromes is not known, and there is no clear relation to location of brain lesion. There are important gaps in knowledge about how to manage these disorders, even for depression, which is the most studied syndrome. Further research is needed to identify causes and interventions to prevent and treat these disorders.

The effects and experiences of goal setting in stroke rehabilitation - a systematic review.

Objective: To systematically integrate and appraise the evidence for effects and experiences of goal setting in stroke rehabilitation. Design: Systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies. Methods: Relevant databases were searched from start of database to 30 April 2011. Studies of any design employing goal setting, reporting stroke-specific data and evaluating its effects and/ or experiences were included. Results: From a total of 53998 hits, 112 full texts were analysed and 17 studies were included, of which seven evaluated effects while ten explored experiences of goal setting. No eligible randomized controlled trials were identified. Most of the included studies had weak to moderate methodological strengths. The design, methods of goal setting and outcome measures differed, making pooling of results difficult. Goal setting appeared to improve recovery, performance and goal achievement, and positively influenced patients’ perceptions of self-care ability and engagement in rehabilitation. However, the actual extent of patient involvement in the goal setting process was not made clear. Patients were often unclear about their role in this process. Professionals reported higher levels of collaboration during goal setting than patients. Patients and professionals differed on how they set goals, types of goals set, and on how they perceived goal attainment. Barriers to goal setting outnumbered the facilitators. Conclusion: Due to the heterogeneity and quality of included studies, no firm conclusions could be made on the effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of goal setting in stroke rehabilitation. Further rigorous research is required to strengthen the evidence base. Better collaboration and communication between patients and professionals and relevant education are recommended for best practice. Implications for Rehabilitation Communication is key to collaborative goal setting. Education and training of professionals regarding goal setting is recommended, especially in relation to methods of involving people with communication and cognitive impairments. Educating patients about stroke and goal setting could enhance their participation in goal setting.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness after Stroke: A Systematic Review:

Cardiorespiratory fitness programs are increasingly used in stroke rehabilitation. Maximal oxygen uptake is the gold standard measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness; however, no recent publications have collated evidence about maximal oxygen uptake levels following stroke. We therefore performed a systematic review of maximal oxygen uptake in stroke survivors, aiming to observe changes in levels over time, and associations with severity of stroke. We searched Medline and Embase until April 2011, and included cross-sectional studies, longitudinal studies, and baseline data from intervention trials. Studies had to recruit at least 10 stroke survivors, and report direct measurement of maximal/peak oxygen uptake. We then compared maximal oxygen uptake with published data from age and gender-matched controls. The search identified 3357 articles. Seventy-two full texts were retrieved, of which 41 met the inclusion criteria. Time since stroke ranged from 10 days to over seven-years. Peak oxygen uptake ranged from 8 to 22 ml/kg/min, which was 26–87% of that of healthy age- and gender-matched individuals. Stroke severity was mild in most studies. Three studies reported longitudinal changes; there was no clear evidence of change in peak oxygen uptake over time. Most studies recruited participants with mild stroke, and it is possible that cardiorespiratory fitness is even more impaired after severe stroke. Maximal oxygen uptake might have been overestimated, as less healthy and older stroke survivors may not tolerate maximal exercise testing. More studies are needed describing mechanisms of impaired cardiorespiratory fitness and longitudinal changes over time to inform the optimal ‘prescription’ of cardiorespiratory fitness programs for stroke survivors.

Exercise for Depression

CLINICAL QUESTION Is exercise an effective treatment for depression? BOTTOM LINE Exercise is associated with a greater reduction in depression symptoms compared with no treatment, placebo, or active control interventions, such as relaxation or meditation. However, analysis of high-quality studies alone suggests only small benefits.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors for Stroke Recovery A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Each year, about 16 million people in the world experience a first-ever stroke. Of these, about 5.7 million die and another 5 million remain disabled.1 Although there are effective treatments that restore brain perfusion and minimize complications and recurrent stroke, there is no treatment proven to facilitate neurological recovery after stroke. A recent small trial demonstrated that the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine, commonly used to treat depression, improved motor recovery and reduced dependency after stroke when given to people without depression.2 Experimental studies reporting neurogenic and neuroprotective effects of SSRIs3,4 provide a plausible mechanism of action. Our objective was to systematically review and perform a meta-analysis of all (published and unpublished) randomized controlled trials of SSRI compared with control, given within the first year of stroke, to determine the effect on dependency, disability, and other important clinical outcomes. ### Searches and Study Selection Extensive literature searches were performed between August 2011 and March 2012 (see Data in online-only Data Supplement); this included searching the gray literature. Two review authors scrutinized the searches of Cochrane Stroke Group, CENTRAL, CCDAN and the trials registers, and applied inclusion criteria. One review author scrutinized the other searches and applied inclusion criteria. We included all randomized controlled trials in patients with a clinical diagnosis of stroke, in which SSRIs were given within the first year of stroke, for any clinical indication. The control arm included usual care or a placebo. Any drug classified as an SSRI (for example fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, escitalopram, and paroxetine) given at any dose, by any mode of delivery, was included. Drugs with mixed effects were not included. Two review authors independently extracted data, except for papers in Chinese, for which 1 review author extracted data. ### Outcomes The primary outcomes were dependence and disability. The secondary outcomes were neurological …