BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Aerobic exercise can elicit positive effects on neuroplasticity and cognitive executive function but is poorly understood after stroke. We tested the effect of 4 weeks of aerobic exercise training on inhibitory and facilitatory elements of cognitive executive function and electroencephalography markers of cortical inhibition and facilitation. We investigated relationships between stimulus-evoked cortical responses, blood lactate levels during training, and aerobic fitness postintervention. METHODS Twelve individuals with chronic (>6 months) stroke completed an aerobic exercise intervention (40 minutes, 3×/wk). Electroencephalography and motor response times were assessed during congruent (response facilitation) and incongruent (response inhibition) stimuli of a Flanker task. Aerobic fitness capacity was assessed as during a treadmill test pre- and postintervention. Blood lactate was assessed acutely (<1 minute) after exercise each week. Cortical inhibition (N2) and facilitation (frontal P3) were quantified as peak amplitudes and latencies of stimulus-evoked electroencephalographic activity over the frontal cortical region. RESULTS Following exercise training, the response inhibition speed increased while response facilitation remained unchanged. A relationship between earlier cortical N2 response and faster response inhibition emerged postintervention. Individuals who produced higher lactate during exercise training achieved faster response inhibition and tended to show earlier cortical N2 responses postintervention. There were no associations between and metrics of behavioral or neurophysiologic function. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS These preliminary findings provide novel evidence for selective benefits of aerobic exercise on inhibitory control during the initial 4-week period after initiation of exercise training and implicate a potential therapeutic effect of lactate on poststroke inhibitory control.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the video, Supplemental Digital Content 1 available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A450).

中文翻译：

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有氧运动可改善中风后的皮质抑制功能：初步研究。

背景和目的 有氧运动可以对神经可塑性和认知执行功能产生积极影响，但在中风后人们却知之甚少。我们测试了 4 周有氧运动训练对认知执行功能的抑制和促进要素以及皮质抑制和促进的脑电图标记的影响。我们研究了刺激引起的皮质反应、训练期间的血乳酸水平以及干预后的有氧健身之间的关系。方法 12 名慢性（>6 个月）中风患者完成了有氧运动干预（40 分钟，每周 3 次）。在侧翼任务的一致（反应促进）和不一致（反应抑制）刺激期间评估脑电图和运动反应时间。在干预前后的跑步机测试中评估有氧健身能力。每周运动后立即（<1 分钟）评估血乳酸。皮质抑制（N2）和促进（额叶 P3）被量化为额叶皮质区域刺激诱发的脑电图活动的峰值幅度和潜伏期。结果运动训练后，反应抑制速度增加，而反应促进保持不变。干预后出现了早期皮质 N2 反应和更快反应抑制之间的关系。在运动训练期间产生较高乳酸的个体实现了更快的反应抑制，并且往往在干预后表现出更早的皮质 N2 反应。行为或神经生理功能之间没有关联。