title: Powered wheelchair skills training for persons with stroke: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to test the hypothesis that people with stroke who receive formal powered wheelchair skills training improve their wheelchair skills to a significantly greater extent than participants in a control group who do not and to explore the influence of spatial neglect.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen participants with stroke (including nine with spatial neglect) were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 9) or control (n = 8) groups. Those in the intervention group received up to five 30-min training sessions based on the Wheelchair Skills Training Program 4.1. The powered Wheelchair Skills Test version 4.1 was administered at baseline (T1) and after training (T2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A rank order analysis of covariance on the T2 Wheelchair Skills Test score, having adjusted for the T1 score, showed a significant effect caused by group (P = 0.0001). A secondary analysis showed no significant effect caused by spatial neglect (P = 0.923).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People with stroke who receive formal powered wheelchair skills training improve their powered wheelchair skills to a significantly greater extent (30%) than participants who do not (0%). The extent of change was not affected by the presence of spatial neglect. These findings have significance for the wheelchair provision process and the rehabilitation of people with stroke.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ADM, RLK), Department of Medicine (KT), Research Methods Unit (KT), and Department of Psychiatry (GE), Dalhousie University; and Department of Occupational Therapy, Capital District Health Authority (CS), Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
authors.forename: Anita D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Mountain
authors.forename: R Lee
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: Cher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eskes
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D014910:Wheelchairs / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*