Acute submaximal exercise does not impact aspects of cognition and BDNF in people with spinal cord injury: A pilot study.
Keegan Nhan, Kendra R Todd, Garett S Jackson and 5 others
PMID 36451805WHAT IT FOUND
A single 30-minute session of moderate arm cycling did not improve cognitive test scores or increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in eight people with spinal cord injury.
The exercise was safe and well-tolerated, but showed no acute effect on brain health markers.
Key findings
01Acute submaximal exercise did not significantly change plasma or serum BDNF levels compared to rest.
02There was no significant difference in cognitive performance on Stroop or Task-Switching tests between the exercise and control conditions.
03All eight participants successfully completed the 30-minute exercise bout, indicating the protocol was feasible for this population.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (n=8), which limits statistical power and increases the risk that the study missed a real effect (Type II error). The study only assessed two specific cognitive domains (inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility) and one biological marker (BDNF), so other cognitive functions or mechanisms may have been affected. Participants exercised in a fasted state, which may have influenced both BDNF levels and cognitive performance differently than if they had eaten. The study did not account for BDNF genotype (Val66Met polymorphism), which is known to affect BDNF release and could contribute to individual variability in response.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by grants from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the null results as proof that exercise is ineffective for brain health in spinal cord injury. This was a small pilot study looking only at acute effects; longer-term exercise training may still offer significant cognitive and neuroprotective benefits.