• Charles Olivier, Jean Doré, Sophie Blanchet, Dina Brooks, Carol L Richards, Guy Martel, Nancy-Michelle Robitaille, and Désirée B Maltais.
• Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Québec, QC, Canada; Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
• Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2013 Nov 1; 94 (11): 2277-82.

ObjectivesTo evaluate, for individuals with chronic stroke with cognitive impairment, (1) the effects of a practice test on peak cardiorespiratory fitness test results; (2) cardiorespiratory fitness test-retest reliability; and (3) the relationship between individual practice test effects and cognitive impairment.DesignCross-sectional.SettingRehabilitation center.ParticipantsA convenience sample of 21 persons (men [n=12] and women [n=9]; age range, 48-81y; 44.9±36.2mo poststroke) with cognitive impairments who had sufficient lower limb function to perform the test.InterventionsNot applicable.Main Outcome MeasurePeak oxygen consumption (Vo(2)peak, ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)).ResultsTest-retest reliability of Vo(2)peak was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient model 2,1 [ICC2,1]=.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], .86-.98). A paired t test showed that there was no significant difference for the group for Vo(2)peak obtained from 2 symptom-limited cardiorespiratory fitness tests performed 1 week apart on a semirecumbent cycle ergometer (test 2-test 1 difference, -.32ml·kg(-1)·min(-1); 95% CI, -.69 to 1.33ml·kg(-1)·min(-1); P=.512). Individual test-retest differences in Vo(2)peak were, however, positively related to general cognitive function as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (ρ=.485; P<.026).ConclusionsVo(2)peak can be reliably measured in this group without a practice test. General cognitive function, however, may influence the effect of a practice test in that those with lower general cognitive function appear to respond differently to a practice test than those with higher cognitive function.Copyright © 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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