The effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on cognitive function in individuals with stroke-induced mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled pilot study

Abstract

Objective: To assess the impact of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on working memory in stroke-induced mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Design: Randomized, double-blind controlled study. Subjects and methods: Twenty MCI patients from the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (December 2021 to February 2023), aged 34–79, 2–12 months post-stroke, were divided into an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG), each with 10 participants. The EG underwent standard rehabilitation plus 40 minutes of aerobic exercise, while the CG received only standard therapy, 5 times weekly for 2 weeks. Working memory was tested using the n-back task, and overall cognitive function was measured with the MOCA and MMSE Scales before and after the intervention. Results: The EG showed higher 3-back correctness (71.80 ± 14.53 vs 56.50 ± 13.66), MOCA scores (27.30 ± 1.57 vs 24.00 ± 3.13), and improved visuospatial/executive (4.60 ± 0.52 vs 3.30 ± 1.06) and delayed recall (4.30 ± 0.82 vs 3.00 ± 1.56) on the MOCA scale compared with the CG. Conclusion: Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise may enhance working memory, visuospatial/executive, and delayed recall functions in stroke-induced MCI patients.