Effects of exercise with probiotics, exercise alone, and probiotics alone on physical, motor, affective, and cognitive functions in stroke patients: a randomised controlled trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Physical and neuropsychiatric disturbances often persist after stroke, necessitating innovative rehabilitation strategies. Combining exercise with probiotics may synergistically enhance recovery by leveraging neuroplasticity and modulation of the gut-brain axis. This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of exercise and probiotics in stroke patients.

Methods

Ninety-six patients (32 per group) within 1 year post-stroke were randomized to exercise with probiotics (EWP) (90 min/session multimodal exercise, 3 times weekly, plus probiotics, 1 capsule/day, 3.3 billion CFU Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium lactis, for 8 weeks), exercise alone (EA), or probiotics alone (PA). The primary outcomes of physical disability (modified Rankin Scale [mRS])

SUBMITTER: Ademoyegun AB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12751216 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature