The effectiveness of body weight-supported gait training and floor walking in patients with chronic stroke.
OBJECTIVE
To compare body weight-supported exercise on a gait trainer with walking exercise overground.


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
Rehabilitation hospital.


METHODS
Forty-five ambulatory patients with chronic stroke.


METHODS
Patients were randomized to 3 groups: (1) gait trainer exercise with functional electric stimulation (GTstim), (2) gait trainer exercise without stimulation (GT), and (3) walking overground (WALK). All patients practiced gait for 15 sessions during 3 weeks (each session, 20 min), and they received additional physiotherapy 55 minutes daily.


METHODS
Ten-meter walk test (10MWT), six-minute walk test (6MWT), lower-limb spasticity and muscle force, postural sway tests, Modified Motor Assessment Scale (MMAS), and FIM instrument scores were recorded before, during, and after the rehabilitation and at 6 months follow-up.


RESULTS
The mean walking distance using the gait trainer was 6900+/-1200 m in the GTstim group and 6500+/-1700 m in GT group. In the WALK group, the distance was 4800+/-2800 m, which was less than the walking distance obtained in the GTstim group (P=.027). The body-weight support was individually reduced from 30% to 9% of the body weight over the course of the program. In the pooled 45 patients, the 10MWT (P<.001), 6MWT (P<.001), MMAS (P<.001), dynamic balance test time (P<.001), and test trip (P=.005) scores improved; however, no differences were found between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Both the body weight-supported training and walking exercise training programs resulted in faster gait after the intensive rehabilitation program. Patients' motor performance remained improved at the follow-up.
Peurala
Sinikka H
SH
Brain Research and Rehabilitation Center Neuron, Kuopio, Finland. sinikka.peurala@neuron.fi
Tarkka
Ina M
IM
Pitkänen
Kauko
K
Sivenius
Juhani
J
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*