Exercise Rewires Brains of Stroke Survivors

Even four years after a stroke has done its damage, exercise can improve mobility, physical conditioning, and can encourage a rewiring of the brain. The Scientific American reports that researchers at the Johns Hopkins University  School of Medicine studied 71 patients, average age 63, who had a stroke an average of about four
years earlier. About half were selected to walk on a treadmill for 40
minutes three times a week for six months, while the rest did
stretching exercises for the same amount of time instead of the
treadmill. The researchers then did MRI scans of the treadmill walkers, which found increased activation in
brain areas associated with controlling gait and walking.  No such changes were
seen in the others The treadmill walkers also improved their walking speed by 51
percent compared to 11 percent for the stretching group. And the
treadmill walkers improved their mobility and aerobic fitness by about
18 percent, compared to no improvement in the stretching group.
Read more in the Scientific American.