Effect of Intensive Outpatient Physical Training on Gait Performance and Cardiovascular Health in People With Hemiparesis After Stroke
By Joergensen, Joergen Roed; Bech-Pedersen, Daniel Thue; Zeeman, Peter; Soerensen, Janne; Andersen, Lars L.; Schoenberger, Michael; Physical Therapy (PTJ) , Volume 90, Number 4, pages 527-537Publication Date: April 2010
Study evaluated the impact of intensive physical training on gait performance and cardiovascular health parameters in people with chronic stroke. Participants were 14 people with hemiparesis following stroke and a mean age of 58.4 years, of whom all but one were male. Participants took part in a 12 week training intervention, 5 times per week for 1.5 hours per session. The intervention consisted of high intensity, body weight supported treadmill training; progressive resistance strength training; and aerobic exercise comprising stationary paretic leg and arm cycling and body weight supported stair climbing. Main outcome measures were gait performance assessed with the Six-Minute Walk Test, 10-Meter Walk Test, and aerobic capacity; and parameters of cardiovascular health including systolic and diastolic blood pressures, body mass index, and resting heart rate. Significant improvements in all main outcome parameters were observed in response to the intervention. Gait speed during the Six-Minute Walk Test increased by 62 percent, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased by 10 and 11 percent, respectively. Weekly testing of walking speed showed that most of the increase in the walking speed occurred in the first 8 weeks of training. Correlation analyses revealed that improvements were unrelated to age, chronicity, or level of functioning. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
Published by: American Physical Therapy Association (Website:http://www.apta.org)
Link to text: http://ptjournal.apta.org/content/90/4/527.long
Link to video: http://ptjournal.apta.org/content/suppl/2010/03/23/90.4.527.DC1/Intervention_Video.mpg
