title: Effects of treadmill inclination on hemiparetic gait: controlled and randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of inclined treadmill training on the kinematic characteristics of gait in subjects with hemiparesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A blind, randomized, controlled study was conducted with 28 subjects divided into two groups: the control group, submitted to partial body weight-support treadmill gait training with no inclination, and the experimental group, which underwent partial body weight-support treadmill training at 10% of inclination. All volunteers were assessed for functional independence, motor function, balance, and gait before and after the 12 training sessions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups showed posttraining alterations in balance (P < 0.001), motor function (P < 0.001), and functional independence (P = 0.002). Intergroup differences in spatiotemporal differences were observed, where only the experimental group showed posttraining alterations in velocity (P = 0.02) and paretic step length (P = 0.03). Angular variables showed no significant differences in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In subjects with hemiparesis, the addition of inclination is a stimulus capable of enhancing the effects of partial body weight-support treadmill gait training.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriela Lopes
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Gama
authors.forename: Larissa Coutinho
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: de Lucena Trigueiro
authors.forename: Camila Rocha
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Simão
authors.forename: Angélica Vieira Cavalcanti
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.forename: Emília Marcia Gomes
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: de Souza E Silva
authors.forename: Élida Rayanne Viana Pinheiro
authors.initials: ÉR
authors.lastname: Galvão
authors.forename: Ana Raquel Rodrigues
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Lindquist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001835:Body Weight; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010291:Paresis / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome