NCT02959216

Aerobic Exercise for Concussion

Sub-Symptom Aerobic Exercise Therapy to Improve Recovery From Acute Sport-Related Concussion: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 125 (actual)
• Sponsor: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 13 Years – 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The use of aerobic exercise treatment in the chronic phase of concussion recovery is well-described in the literature but there are limited existing data on the effect of exercise treatment in the acute phase after sport-related concussion (SRC). This study will compare the outcomes of adolescents with a recent SRC who are randomized to sub-threshold aerobic exercise versus those randomized to placebo stretching to evaluate the effect of aerobic exercise in the acute recovery phase.

Detailed description

Historically, concussion has been described as a cognitive injury and patients have been advised not to engage in any cognitive or physical exertion while symptomatic. More recently, however, concussion has been described as a physiological injury affecting both the heart and autonomic nervous system, and patients suffering from prolonged concussion-related symptoms and deficits have been encouraged to begin aerobic exercise as part of their concussion care. While intensive exercise too soon after concussion has been associated with delayed recovery and used to justify prolonged periods of rest, recent studies have shown that controlled, sub-symptom threshold aerobic exercise may aid recovery by improving autonomic balance and cerebral blood flow auto-regulation after concussion. This study will randomly assign pediatric patients with concussion to a treatment group in which they will complete sub-symptom threshold aerobic exercise or to a placebo group in which they will complete a standardized stretching protocol. All participants will have routine visits that consist of a physical examination and exercise test until the intervention ends at recovery or 1-month post-randomization.

Conditions

• Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
• Acute Brain Injury
• Brain Concussion

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Aerobic Exercise	Participants will be given a prescription to exercise up to 90% of their threshold heart rate for symptom exacerbation. Heart rate threshold will be monitored weekly in order to increase exercise level accordingly.
OTHER	Stretching Exercise	Participants will be given a prescription to complete a standardized stretching protocol.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-07-23
• Primary completion: 2020-04-01
• Completion: 2020-07-07
• First posted: 2016-11-09
• Last updated: 2020-11-24

Locations

3 sites across 1 country: United States