Body weight-supported treadmill training versus conventional gait training for people with chronic traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To compare body weight support treadmill training (BWSTT) to conventional overground gait training (COGT).


METHODS
Randomized controlled trial.


METHODS
Residential rehabilitation center.


METHODS
Twenty subjects with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI).


METHODS
The BWSTT or COGT for 15 minutes plus 30 minutes of exercise 2 days per week, for 3 months.


METHODS
Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), Functional Reach (FR), Timed Up and Go; gait velocity, step width (BOS) and step length differential using instrumented gait mat.


RESULTS
Step width approached the norm without between-group differences. Step length differential improved significantly more for the COGT.


CONCLUSIONS
Physical therapy can improve gait for patients more than 6 years post-TBI. The COGT is more effective than the BWSTT for improving gait symmetry during overground walking.
Brown
Tracy H
TH
Department of Physical Therapy, Beechwood Rehabilitation Services, Langhorne, PA 19047, USA.
Mount
Julie
J
Rouland
Bethany L
BL
Kautz
Katherine A
KA
Barnes
Renee M
RM
Kim
Jihye
J
D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D020208:Brain Injury, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016474:Weight-Bearing