Cardiovascular stress during a contemporary stroke rehabilitation program: is the intensity adequate to induce a training effect?
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the level of cardiovascular stress of physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) sessions of a contemporary stroke rehabilitation program and to identify therapeutic activities that elicit heart rate responses adequate to induce a training effect.


METHODS
A descriptive, longitudinal study with heart rate and activity monitoring of PT and OT sessions at biweekly intervals, 2 to 14 weeks poststroke.


METHODS
An acute inpatient stroke unit and inpatient and outpatient stroke rehabilitation units.


METHODS
A consecutive sample of 20 patients with ischemic stroke who participated in inpatient and outpatient stroke rehabilitation.


METHODS
Observation of routine PT and OT sessions for patients poststroke without influencing the extent and content of the sessions.


METHODS
Time per session in which heart rate was within the calculated target heart rate zone.


RESULTS
Time per PT session spent in target heart rate zone was low (2.8+/-0.9 min), and per OT session was negligible (0.7+/-0.2 min) over the course of rehabilitation.


CONCLUSIONS
The PT and OT sessions between 2 and 14 weeks poststroke did not elicit adequate cardiovascular stress to induce a training effect.
MacKay-Lyons
Marilyn J
MJ
School of Physiotherapy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada. m.mackay-lyons@dal.ca
Makrides
Lydia
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation