Effects of multicomponent exercise for rehabilitation of stroke patients on muscle physiological changes, physical function, and cognitive function: A randomised controlled trial

Background: Stroke is associated with impairments in muscle function, mobility, and cognition, which collectively reduce functional independence and quality of life. Multicomponent exercise integrating physical and cognitive components has emerged as a promising rehabilitation strategy for addressing these multidimensional impairments.

Objective: This study investigated the effects of multicomponent exercise on muscle physiological changes, physical function, and cognitive function in patients with chronic stroke.

Methods: Thirty patients with chronic stroke were randomly assigned to a multicomponent exercise group (n = 15) or a conventional rehabilitation group (n = 15). Both groups received conventional neurological rehabilitation three times weekly for 12 weeks, while the experimental group additionally received a multicomponent exercise program. Muscle activation and muscle oxygen saturation were assessed to evaluate physiological changes in muscle. Physical function was evaluated using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, while cognitive function was assessed using the Korean version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K). A two-way mixed-design ANOVA was used for statistical analysis.

Results: Both groups demonstrated significant post-intervention improvements in several outcome measures ([Formula: see text]). However, the multicomponent exercise group showed significantly greater improvements in lower limb muscle activation, functional mobility, and cognitive function compared with the control group ([Formula: see text]). In contrast, muscle oxygen saturation showed significant time effects without significant between-group differences.

Conclusion: Multicomponent exercise produced superior improvements in muscle activation, functional mobility, and cognitive function compared with conventional rehabilitation exercise in patients with chronic stroke. These findings suggest that multicomponent exercise may represent an effective multidomain rehabilitation strategy for improving mobility and cognitive-motor function in stroke survivors.