Secondary Analysis of Walking Activities during the Acute Stroke Hospital Stay and Cerebrovascular Health.

Purpose: Physical activity within the hospital post-stroke is recommended for cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health, but no studies have examined cerebrovascular health. We hypothesized individuals who walked farther distances (FARhigh) during the acute phase of stroke recovery in a hospital setting would have a higher resting middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv) and a greater cerebrovascular response (CVR) to moderate-intensity exercise at 3-months post-stroke, compared to individuals who walked shorter distances (FARlow).

Methods: At 3-month post-stroke, we recorded 90-seconds of resting baseline (BL) MCAv followed by 6-minutes of moderate-intensity exercise.

Pilot Study to Characterize Middle Cerebral Artery Dynamic Response to an Acute Bout of Moderate Intensity Exercise at 3- and 6-Months Poststroke.

Background The primary aim of this study was to characterize the middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAv) dynamic response to an acute bout of exercise in humans at 3- and 6-months poststroke. As a secondary objective, we grouped individuals according to the MCAv dynamic response to the exercise bout as responder or nonresponder. We tested whether physical activity, aerobic fitness, and exercise mean arterial blood pressure differed between groups.

Optimizing Recruitment Strategies and Physician Engagement for Stroke Recovery Research.

Background And Purpose: A major challenge for stroke rehabilitation and recovery research is the recruitment and retention of participants. Our prior challenges and successes have influenced our team to rethink our approach and the potential for large-scale stroke recruitment.

Summary Of Key Points: In this special interest article, we highlight how the adoption and implementation of recruitment strategies such as physician engagement and a streamlined "customer service" approach helped us improve our enrollment and maximize efficiency.