[The role of physical exercises in the improvement of cognitive functions in patients who survived stroke, in the early rehabilitative period]

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of a complex of physical therapy exercises "Brain gymnastics" in post-stroke patients. Eighty three such patients enrolled in the study were randomly allocated to two groups. The program of physical rehabilitation for patients comprising one group (n = 41) included regular exercises with elements of "brain gymnastics" whereas patients of the other group (n = 41) received standard rehabilitative treatment. Patients of group 1 enjoyed improvement of cognitive functions, mood, and quality of life. Disturbances of short-term memory and voluntary attention were partly corrected, astheno-neurotic reactions and manifestations of advantage by illness became less apparent than in the control group while the level of self-assessment increased. None of the patients in group 1 exhibited undesirable reactions to the offered treatment.