Exercise for Memory Rehabilitation in Epilepsy

Description

The primary objectives of this randomized controlled trial are to determine in adults with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) the efficacy of a 6-week supervised and structured exercise program combining endurance and resistance training for memory rehabilitation, investigate a putative mechanisms of action for exercise-related memory benefits, and determine if the memory benefits and brain changes are retained 6 weeks after completing the exercise intervention. Based on the investigators’ pilot exercise data in adults with epilepsy, they hypothesize that exercise will significantly improve verbal memory function in the exercise group compared to the no-intervention control group. The investigators also hypothesize that the verbal memory improvements are mediated by the changes in resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the hippocampus, a brain region that plays a vital role in memory function. The investigators propose a mediation model in which exercise-induced changes in the hippocampus rsFC is mediating the beneficial effect of exercise on memory function in epilepsy, and will utilize the causal-steps approach in which 4 conditions of statistical significance must be met to determine if mediation is present.