Just six months of exercise can improve memory, language, thinking and judgment problems by almost 50 per cent, says a study presented today at the Canadian Stroke Congress. Toronto researchers found that the proportion of stroke patients with at least mild cognitive impairment dropped from 66 per cent to 37 per cent during a research study on the impact of exercise on the brain. “People who have cognitive deficits after stroke have a threefold risk of mortality, and they’re more likely to be institutionalized,” says lead researcher Susan Marzolini of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. “If we can improve cognition through exercise, which also has many physical benefits, then this should become a standard of care for people following stroke.”
