rTMS plus aerobic exercise for post‑stroke depression and walking recovery
Official title: Combining rTMS & aerobic exercise to treat depression and improve post-stroke walking (RESTORATION)
Funded at Medical University of South Carolina · NIH-11180064 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project combines repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with aerobic exercise to try to reduce depression and improve walking for people after a stroke.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $665,075 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD113299-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11180064 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people who have had a stroke, are experiencing depressive symptoms, and have walking or motor recovery goals.
✕Less likely to help
People without depressive symptoms, or those with medical reasons they cannot do rTMS or aerobic exercise (for example certain implants, uncontrolled seizures, or severe cardiovascular limits), may not benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
If you join, you would receive sessions of rTMS (a noninvasive brain stimulation) and supervised aerobic exercise, either alone or in combination, while researchers track mood and walking progress. The team will measure changes in depressive symptoms, motor recovery, and whether lowering depression helps you get more out of rehabilitation. The project builds on prior evidence that rTMS and aerobic exercise help depression in people without stroke and examines their effects specifically after stroke. The goal is to see whether the combined approach leads to better mood and walking than typical care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could lower post‑stroke depression and make rehabilitation more effective, helping people regain walking ability faster.
How similar studies have gone: rTMS and aerobic exercise have both reduced depression in people without stroke, but using them together for post‑stroke depression and to boost walking recovery is a newer, unproven approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gregory, Chris — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Gregory, Chris
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Combining rTMS and aerobic exercise to help post-stroke depression and walking
A new approach tests whether adding aerobic exercise to rTMS can reduce depression after stroke and improve walking.
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Using exercise and brain stimulation to help people with depression after a stroke
This study is looking at whether doing aerobic exercise along with a special treatment called rTMS can help people who are feeling depressed after a stroke feel better and recover more effectively.
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Aerobic exercise to boost stroke rehabilitation outcomes with a VR game
A VA-based study tests whether an aerobic workout before a hand-rehabilitation game can improve recovery after stroke for veterans.
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Understanding why post-stroke depression happens in older mice
A study in aged mice investigates how stroke can lead to depression and what biological changes drive it, with a focus on the roles of oxytocin and taurine.
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How aerobic exercise may help brain health and thinking after late-life depression
This work looks at whether regular aerobic exercise can improve brain health and thinking in older adults who have recovered from late-life depression.
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Understanding Depression After Stroke
This project explores how depression develops after a stroke, especially in older individuals, by looking at brain changes and potential protective factors.
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.