title: Long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial on additional core stability exercises training for improving dynamic sitting balance and trunk control in stroke patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Analyse the effect of core stability exercises in addition to conventional physiotherapy training three months after the intervention ended.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient services.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-nine stroke survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the intervention period, both groups underwent conventional physiotherapy performed five days/week for five weeks, and in addition the experimental group performed core stability exercises for 15 minutes/day. Afterwards, during a three-month follow-up period, both groups underwent usual care that could eventually include conventional physiotherapy or physical exercise but not in a controlled condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary outcome was trunk control and dynamic sitting balance assessed by the Spanish-Version of Trunk Impairment Scale 2.0 and Function in Sitting Test. Secondary outcomes were standing balance and gait evaluated by the Berg Balance Scale, Tinetti Test, Brunel Balance Assessment, Spanish-Version of Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke and activities of daily living using the Barthel Index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 68 subjects out of 79 completed the three-month follow-up period. The mean difference (SD) between groups was 0.78 (1.51) points ( p = 0.003) for total score on the Spanish-Version of Trunk Impairment Scale 2.0, 2.52 (6.46) points ( p = 0.009) for Function in Sitting Test, dynamic standing balance was 3.30 (9.21) points ( p= 0.009) on the Berg Balance Scale, gait was 0.82 (1.88) points ( p = 0.002) by Brunel Balance Assessment (stepping), and 1.11 (2.94) points ( p = 0.044) by Tinetti Test (gait), all in favour of core stability exercises.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Core stability exercises plus conventional physiotherapy have a positive long-term effect on improving dynamic sitting and standing balance and gait in post-stroke patients.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cabanas-Valdés
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Caritat
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bagur-Calafat
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Physiotherapy (Biostatistics Unit), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girabent-Farrés
authors.affiliation: 3 Parc Taulí Sabadell Hospital Universitari, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernanda Mª
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Caballero-Gómez
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Physical Therapy, Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: du Port de Pontcharra-Serra
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: German-Romero
authors.affiliation: 5 Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau, CIBERESP, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Urrútia
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D000077708:Sitting Position; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Follow-up; core stability exercises; hemiparesis; long-term; sitting balance; stroke; trunk control