# Developing a walking exercise program for non-ambulatory stroke survivors

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · $333,250

## Abstract

Project summary
Stroke is a leading cause of death and permanent disability. Cardiovascular diseases are commonly
presented and are primary causes of death in stroke survivors. Numerous studies have proven the benefits
of walking or other forms of aerobic exercise for cardiovascular and pulmonary function in people after
stroke. Most of the past studies targeted stroke survivors with mild or moderate sensorimotor impairment
who can walk independently but did not include 22% or more of stroke survivors who remain non-
ambulatory despite intensive rehabilitation. Upright walking may be a superior intervention to improve
cardiovascular and pulmonary health in non-ambulatory chronic stroke survivors compared to sitting
exercises that are commonly used. Current clinical guidelines could not make a clear recommendation as
regarding to gait training for non-ambulatory chronic stroke survivors because they have been rarely
enrolled in trials of gait training. Consequently, gait training is often not included in their rehabilitation plans
despite its tremendous potential. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines
recognize this gap in our knowledge and strongly encourage research to explore broader application and
effectiveness of assisted gait training in managing risk factors of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases in
non-ambulatory stroke survivors. To address this gap, the proposed randomized controlled efficacy trial will
primarily examine whether our gait training can improve cardiovascular system in non-ambulatory chronic
stroke survivors better than a sitting leg cycling exercise. We have recently developed a novel gait training
device and a training program. A detailed description of the technical advantages of our device and
promising pilot results of our gait training program are presented in the text of this application to support
our scientific rationale. Our primary aim is to investigate the efficacy of an 8-week gait training program in
comparison to an 8-week sitting leg cycling exercise program of a control group. Our primary hypothesis is
that the gait training will result in significantly different changes in a positive direction in resting heart rate
(rHR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) than the sitting leg cycling
exercise in non-ambulatory chronic stroke survivors, as demonstrated through a comparison between the
experimental and control groups. To accomplish this goal, 90 non-ambulatory chronic stroke survivors will
be recruited into the study. Individuals will be randomly allocated to an intervention (n = 45) or control (n =
45) group. The intervention group will receive three sessions of walking exercise each week for eight
weeks along with usual care. The subjects in the control group will receive a sitting leg cycling exercise
program. The proposed project will examine differences between the two groups in a set of comprehensive
outcome assessments of cardiovascular, ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10424079
- **Project number:** 1R01HD108466-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** WEN LIU
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $333,250
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10424079

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10424079, Developing a walking exercise program for non-ambulatory stroke survivors (1R01HD108466-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10424079. Licensed CC0.

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