title: Rehabilitation of postural disturbances of hemiplegic patients by using trunk control retraining during exploratory exercises.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess use of the Bon Saint Côme device for axial postural rehabilitation in hemiplegic patients, a technique based on voluntary trunk control during exploratory retraining.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 3-month randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  A public neurorehabilitation center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty consecutive hemiplegic patients with axial postural disturbance resulting from recent stroke were randomly assigned to a device group (DG) or control group (CG). The 2 groups of 10 patients were similar.
  
  
  METHODS
  For 1 month, the DG patients followed an experimental program for 1 hour daily and conventional neurorehabilitation for 1 hour daily, whereas CG patients had conventional neurorehabilitation for 2 hours daily. For the next 2 months, all 20 patients had conventional neurorehabilitation for 2 hours daily.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were assessed on days 0, 30, and 90 by using a battery of postural tests, gait evaluation, the Bells neglect test, and the FIM instrument.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On day 30, postural and neglect tests improved significantly more in DG than in CG. The benefit remained at day 90. Gait improved earlier in DG than in CG. FIM scores improved equally.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Voluntary trunk control retraining during spatial exploration with the Bon Saint Côme device appears to be a useful approach for rehabilitation of postural disorders in hemiplegic patients. Treatments designed to improve spatial cognition deficits probably enhance postural disorder recovery in hemiplegia.
authors.affiliation: Neurorehabilitation Unit, Pellegrin University Hospital, Bordeaux, France. madeseze@aol.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Sèze
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wiart
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bon-Saint-Côme
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Debelleix
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Sèze
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mazaux
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barat
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011187:Posture; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric