Stroke patients and long-term training: is it worthwhile? A randomized comparison of two different training strategies after rehabilitation

Objective: To find out if there were any differences in improvement and maintenance of motor function, activity of daily living and grip strength between patients with first-ever stroke receiving two different strategies of physical exercise during the first year after stroke. Design: A longitudinal randomized controlled stratified trial. Setting: Rehabilitation institutions, community, patients' homes and nursing homes. Subjects: Seventy-five male and female first-time-ever stroke patients: 35 in an intensive exercise group and 40 in a regular exercise group. Intervention: The intensive exercise group received physiotherapy with focus on intensive exercises in four periods during the first year after stroke. The regular exercise group patients were followed up according to their subjective needs during the corresponding year. Main outcome measures: Motor Assessment Scale, Barthel Index of Activities of Daily Living, and grip strength. Results: Both groups improved significantly up to six months when function stabilized. The groups did not differ significantly on any test occasions. The difference of improvement from admission to discharge was significant in favour of the intensive exercise group, in the Motor Assessment Scale total score (intensive exercise group 7.5; regular exercise group 1.7, P = 0.01), and in the Barthel Index of Activities of Daily Living total score (17.4 versus 8.9, P = 0.04). Conclusion: Motor function, activities of daily living functions and grip strength improved initially and were maintained during the first year after stroke in all patients irrespective of exercise regime. This indicates the importance of motivation for regular exercise in the first year following stroke, achieved by regular check-ups

Bobath or motor relearning programme? A follow-up one and four years post stroke

Objective: The purpose of this follow-up one and four years post stroke was to find out whether the initial physiotherapy approach had had any long-term effects on mortality, motor function, postural control, activities of daily living, life quality, follow-up from community services and living conditions. Design: A randomized controlled trial of first time ever stroke patients. Group 1 (n = 33) and group 2 (n = 28) had initial physiotherapy according to the Motor Relearning Programme and Bobath, respectively. Main outcome measures: The Motor Assessment Scale (MAS), the Sødring Motor Evaluation Scale (SMES), the Barthel ADL Index, the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and Berg Balance Scale were used. The following parameters were also registered: incidence of new strokes, other diseases, use of assistive devices, the patient's accommodation and use of services from the community. Results: The mortality rates were similar in the two groups. In both groups the motor function, postural control and ADL had decreased rapidly, leaving many of the patients dependent and with a high risk of falling. Life quality had increased compared to the acute stage, but was still low in comparison with healthy persons. Patients in both groups lived at home, but were dependent on help from relatives and community services. Physiotherapy as follow-up service was seldom used. The initial physiotherapy approach did not seem to have a major in‘uence on the patients' ability to cope in the long term. Conclusion: This follow-up at one and four years post stroke showed no major in‘uence of two different initial physiotherapy regimens on long-term function. The study confirmed a rapid deterioration of ADL and motor function and an increased dependence on relatives. The study reveals a gap between the intense treatment in the acute phase and little or no follow-up of physiotherapy treatment or other rehabilitation activities later