The Claim

In adults with chronic stroke, 12 weeks of computerized cognitive training, with or without mindfulness or physical exercise, results in a significant decline in plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels.

Source: Effects of Mindfulness and Exercise on Growth Factors, Inflammation, and Stress Markers in Chronic Stroke: The MindFit Project Randomized Clinical Trial

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
75score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Quantitative
1 study reviewed
In plain English

Adults with chronic stroke who undergo 12 weeks of computerized cognitive training, regardless of whether they also do mindfulness or physical exercise, show a measurable decrease in plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels.

See the scientific wording

In adults with chronic stroke, 12 weeks of computerized cognitive training, with or without mindfulness or physical exercise, leads to a significant decline in plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), suggesting this reduction is not driven by the added interventions but may reflect underlying disease processes or measurement variability.

Why this might work

After a stroke, the brain's stress control center stays overactive, causing the body to release too much of a stress hormone. This hormone tells the liver to stop making a growth protein called IGF-1. This happens whether or not the person does extra training or mindfulness, because it is driven by the stroke's lasting effect on the body's stress system.

Supported mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: Effects of Mindfulness and Exercise on Growth Factors, Inflammation, and Stress Markers in Chronic Stroke: The MindFit Project Randomized Clinical Trial

    All stroke patients who did computer brain training — whether or not they also did mindfulness or exercise — had a drop in a brain-repair protein called IGF-1. This means the drop wasn’t caused by the extra activities; it’s probably just part of how stroke affects the body.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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