MedPage Today (8/26, Lou) reports, “Besides the traditional benefits of cardiorespiratory exercise after stroke, patients also showed improved cognitive performance and some arguable preserving of brain volume in a small randomized trial.” Investigators found, “based on brain MRI, focal brain atrophy was similar between stroke survivors randomized to a structured, intensity-tailored exercise program or a simple stretching routine.” Nonetheless, “these results compared favorably to historical estimates of hippocampal atrophy in healthy midlife…and stroke survivors.” Meanwhile, “cognition was where outcomes significantly differed between the groups: at 12 months, tests of overall cognition, executive function, and processing speed gave the more intense routine the upper hand.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open. (SOURCE: APA Headlines)