Effects of gait training with body weight support on a treadmill vs. overground for individuals with stroke

Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-26T17:24:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-04-01Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Objective: To investigate the effects of gait training with body weight support (BWS) on a treadmill versus overground in individuals with chronic stroke. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: University research laboratory. Participants: Individuals (N=28) with chronic stroke (>6mo from the stroke event). Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to receive gait training with BWS on a treadmill (n=14) or overground (n=14) 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Main Outcome Measures: Gait speed measured using the 10-meter walk test, endurance measured using the 6-minute walk test, functional independence measured using the motor domain of the FIM, lower limb recovery measured using the lower extremity domain of the Fugl-Meyer assessment, step length, step length symmetry ratio, and single-limb support duration. Measurements were obtained at baseline, immediately after the training session, and 6 weeks after the training session. Results: At 1 week after the last training session, both groups improved in all outcome measures except paretic step length and step length symmetry ratio, which were improved only in the overground group (P=.01 and P=.01, respectively). At 6 weeks after the last training session, all improvements remained and the treadmill group also improved paretic step length (P.05). Conclusions: Individuals with chronic stroke equally improve gait speed and other gait parameters after 18 sessions of BWS gait training on either a treadmill or overground. Only the overground group improved step length symmetry ratio, suggesting a role of integrating overground walking into BWS interventions poststroke. (C) 2016 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation MedicineCruzeiro do Sul Univ, Inst Phys Act & Sport Sci, Rua Galvao Bueno 868, BR-01506000 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilSao Paulo State Univ, Dept Phys Educ, Rio Claro, SP, BrazilVet Adm Maryland Hlth Care Syst, Maryland Exercise & Robot Ctr Excellence, Baltimore, MD USAUniv Maryland, Sch Med, Dept Phys Therapy & Rehabil Sci, Baltimore, MD 21201 USAUniv Southampton, Fac Hlth Sci, Southampton, Hants, EnglandSao Paulo State Univ, Dept Phys Educ, Rio Claro, SP, Brazi