Remote ischaemic conditioning for fatigue after stroke (RICFAST): A pilot randomised controlled trial

MOYLE, Bethany, KUDIERSKY, Nik, TOTTON, Nikki, SASSANI, Matilde, NICHOLS, Simon, JENKINS, Tom, REDGRAVE, Jessica, BAIG, Sheharyar, NAIR, Krishnan Padmakumari Sivaraman, MAJID, Arshad and ALI, N. Ali (2023). Remote ischaemic conditioning for fatigue after stroke (RICFAST): A pilot randomised controlled trial. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 32 (12): 107420.

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Abstract

Background Post stroke fatigue (PSF) affects 50 % of stroke survivors, and can be disabling. Remote ischaemic conditioning (RIC), can preserve mitochondrial function, improve tissue perfusion and may mitigate PSF. This pilot randomised controlled trial evaluates the safety and feasibility of using RIC for PSF and evaluated measures of cellular bioenergetics. Methods 24 people with debilitating PSF (7 item Fatigue Severity Score, FSS-7 > 4) were randomised (1:1) in this single-centre phase 2 study to RIC (blood pressure cuff inflation around the upper arm 200 mmHg for 5 min followed by 5 min of deflation), or sham (inflation pressure 20 mmHg), repeated 4 cycles, 3 times per week for 6 weeks. Primary outcomes were safety, acceptability, and compliance. Secondary outcomes included FSS-7, 6 min walking test (6MWT), peak oxygen consumption (V̇O2peak), ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VAT), and muscle adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content measured using 31-phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy of tibialis anterior. Results RIC was safe (no serious adverse events, adverse events mild) and adherence excellent (91 % sessions completed). Exploratory analysis revealed lower FSS-7 scores in the RIC group compared to sham at 6 weeks (between group difference FSS-7 -0.7, 95 %CI -2.0 to 0.6), 3 months (-1.0, 95 %CI -2.2 to 0.2) and 6 months (-0.9, 95 %CI -2.0 to 0.2). There were trends towards increased VAT, increased muscle ATP content and improved 6MWT in the RIC group. Discussion RIC is safe and acceptable for people with PSF and may result in clinically meaningful improvements in fatigue and muscle bioenergetics that require further investigation in larger studies.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	1103 Clinical Sciences; 1109 Neurosciences; Neurology & Neurosurgery; 3202 Clinical sciences; 3209 Neurosciences
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Elements
Depositing User:	Symplectic Elements
Date Deposited:	23 Oct 2023 15:50
Last Modified:	12 Dec 2023 10:45
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/32579

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