title: Action observation training of community ambulation for improving walking ability of patients with post-stroke hemiparesis: a randomized controlled pilot trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of action observation training involving community-based ambulation for improving walking ability after stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, controlled pilot study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inpatient rehabilitation hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 25 inpatients with post-stroke hemiparesis were randomly assigned to either the experimental group ( n = 12) or control group ( n = 13).
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects of the experimental group watched video clips demonstrating four-staged ambulation training with a more complex environment factor for 30 minutes, three times a week for four weeks. Meanwhile, subjects of the control group watched video clips, which showed different landscape pictures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Walking function was evaluated before and after the four-week intervention using a 10-m walk test, community walk test, activities-specific balance confidence scale, and spatiotemporal gait measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Changes in the values for the 10-m walk test (0.17 ±0.19 m/s vs. 0.05 ±0.08 m/s), community walk test (-151.42 ±123.82 seconds vs. 67.08 ±176.77 seconds), and activities-specific balance confidence (6.25 ±5.61 scores vs. 0.72 ±2.24 scores) and the spatiotemporal parameters (i.e. stride length (19.00 ±11.34 cm vs. 3.16 ±11.20 cm), single support (5.87 ±5.13% vs. 0.25 ±5.95%), and velocity (15.66 ±12.34 cm/s vs. 2.96 ±10.54 cm/s)) indicated a significant improvement in the experimental group compared with the control group. In the experimental group, walking function and ambulation confidence was significantly different between the pre- and post-intervention, whereas the control group showed a significant difference only in the 10-m walk test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Action observation training of community ambulation may be favorably used for improving walking function of patients with post-stroke hemiparesis.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Physical Therapy, Cheongju University, Cheongju-si, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Physical Therapy, Cheongju University, Cheongju-si, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Duck-Won
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Science, Daejeon University, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Duk
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medical Science, Jeonju University, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Man
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Science, Daejeon University, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Suhn-Yeop
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Science, Daejeon University, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Physical Therapy, Osan Medical Center, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Su-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010291:Paresis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012016:Reference Values; D056910:Republic of Korea; D018570:Risk Assessment; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014741:Video Recording; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Action observation; community-based ambulation; stroke; walking ability