Biomarkers to predict who benefits from high‑intensity aerobic training after chronic stroke
Official title: What makes a responder, a responder? Biomarkers to help identify responders and resistors to high-intensity interval training for lower extremity chronic stroke
Funded at Veterans Health Administration · NIH-11306586 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at blood and brain signals to figure out who with long‑term leg weakness after stroke will get better with high‑intensity aerobic training.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Decatur, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX004537-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11306586 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults (age 21+) with chronic subcortical stroke who have ongoing lower‑extremity weakness or walking difficulty and who can safely perform high‑intensity aerobic exercise.
✕Less likely to help
People with very recent or acute stroke, those unable to perform high‑intensity exercise due to medical limits, or those with non‑subcortical stroke presentations may not benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers will enroll adults who have persistent walking problems after a subcortical stroke and put them through personalized high‑intensity aerobic training for the legs. They will measure blood lactate and related brain chemistry (including signals tied to GABA and glutamate) before and after exercise to see which changes link to improvements in walking. Those measurements will be combined into a predictive model intended to tell clinicians who is likely to respond to this type of exercise. If successful, the team plans to use the model to guide individualized rehabilitation targets and exercise prescriptions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians pick the right aerobic training for each stroke survivor so more people regain walking ability.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows aerobic exercise can improve post‑stroke function and that lactate can affect brain chemistry, but using lactate and neurotransmitter measures to predict individual response is a novel and emerging approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Health Administration
Decatur, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Krishnamurthy, Lisa C. — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Krishnamurthy, Lisa C.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation to Improve Movement After Stroke
A new non-invasive technique called kilohertz Transcranial Magnetic Perturbation (kTMP) is being tested to improve arm movement in people who have chronic stroke.
-
Instrumented brain organoids for chronic stroke repair
A study exploring how tiny, living brain tissue 3D «organoids» attached to flexible, safer electrodes could help restore brain function after a stroke.
-
Multisensory support to improve standing balance after stroke
This project uses extra sensory feedback to help people with long-term stroke improve their standing balance.
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Improving hand function in stroke survivors with muscle activation techniques
This study is looking at how special techniques can help people who have had a moderate-to-severe stroke improve their hand use, making it easier for them to do everyday tasks and regain their independence.
-
Understanding balance control while walking in people with chronic stroke
This study looks at how people who have had a stroke keep their balance while walking in tricky situations, and it aims to find ways to help them improve their walking and balance during recovery.
-
Training to improve balance and reduce falls in people after a stroke
This study is all about helping people who have had a stroke improve their balance and lower their chances of falling by trying out new training methods that focus on specific balance issues.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.