High-intensity exercise to improve language after stroke
Exercising language: Behavioral and neurophysiological changes after high-intensity exercise training in post-stroke aphasia
This project looks at whether a tailored high-intensity exercise program can help people with aphasia after stroke improve their speaking, thinking, and well-being.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11332836 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a program that pairs safe, stroke- and aphasia-friendly high-intensity physical exercise with standard language therapy. The team will enroll about 110 people with post-stroke aphasia and measure language, cognitive skills, motor function, mood, fitness, and brain blood-flow using advanced imaging. The exercise protocol was designed for people with motor and language deficits and has shown safety and feasibility in this population. Study visits will include supervised workouts, therapy sessions, fitness testing, and noninvasive brain imaging to track changes over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults who have aphasia after a stroke, are medically cleared for high-intensity exercise, and can commit to scheduled in-person sessions are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who cannot safely perform high-intensity exercise due to serious medical or mobility limits, or whose language problems are not stroke-related, may not benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could boost language recovery and improve physical fitness, cognition, and emotional well-being for people with post-stroke aphasia.
How similar studies have performed: Previous small and feasibility studies suggest aerobic exercise can help cognition and mood after stroke, but applying high-intensity exercise specifically to improve language with vascular imaging is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Berkeley, United States
- University of California Berkeley — Berkeley, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ivanova, Maria V. — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Ivanova, Maria V.
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 below.