Effects of aerobic and resistance exercises on psychological and cognitive functions in patients with post-stroke migraine

ABSTRACT

Objective

To investigate the impact of a combination of aerobic and resistance exercises on the psychological and cognitive functions of post-stroke migraine patients.

Methods

This study recruited 100 patients suffering from post-stroke migraine pain who were admitted to the hospital, categorizing them into a control group (n = 50) and an intervention group (n = 50). The control group received conventional drug treatment, while the intervention group received the exercise-based intervention that combined aerobic exercise with resistance exercise.

Results

Before treatment, both groups displayed similar Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and MoCA scores. However, after the intervention, the intervention group exhibited lower scores on these measures compared to the control group (all p < 0.05). Additionally, there were no discernible disparity in Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) and Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) scores between the two cohorts of patients before treatment (p > 0.05), whereas the intervention group demonstrated significantly lower MIDAS and HIT-6 scores following the intervention (p < 0.05). Although there were no discernible distinctions in National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) and Stroke Specialized Quality of Life Scale (SS-QOL) measurements between the two patient groups before treatment (p > 0.05), the intervention group exhibited a significant decrease in NIHSS scores and a notable increase in SS-QOL scores after the intervention (p > 0.05). Moreover, the satisfaction rate and overall satisfaction rate were significantly higher in the intervention group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The combination of aerobic and resistance exercises demonstrated positive effects on the psychological well-being and overall quality of life for post-stroke migraine patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Aerobic and resistance exercises
• post-stroke migraine
• psychological function
• cognitive impairment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.