Assistant professor College of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia
Research Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of using lower body positive pressure (LBPP) gait training on gait speed, dynamic and static balance, and quality of life in individuals with chronic stroke.
Design: The study is repeated measure design
Setting: At physical therapy department, Qassim University Medical City, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia.
Participants: A convenience sampling of 13 individuals with chronic stroke were enrolled in this study following inclusion criteria included: 1) age between 18 – 70-year-old; 2), do not have any additional neurological and/or orthopedic deficiencies impairing ambulation; 3) a functional ambulation categories score ≥ 3; 4) No history of cardiac, respiratory, cardiovascular conditions interferes with LBPP. Exclusion criteria were 1) recurrent stroke; 2) lower limb spasticity of modified Ashworth scale greater than 3; 3) Ataxia, or tremor of lower limb. Four participants withdrew from the study.
Interventions: Participants walked in LBPP one session a day (for up to approximately 40 min), three days a week, for six weeks. The Alter G pressure chamber was set to unload 50% of patient’s body weight and decreased gradually for following each session by approximately 2%.
Main Outcome Measures: Functional ambulation category (FAC), 10-meter walk test (10-MWT), 6 minutes walking test (6MWT), Timed Up and Go (TUG), functional reach test (FRT), and short form (SF-36) health survey.
Results: Nine chronic stroke patients (1 female, 8 male) aged 57 ± 15.4 year with stroke since 4.8 ± 3.9 year participated in LBPP gait training. Participants showed significant improvement in FAC (pre 4 ± 2 vs. post 5 ± 1; p = 0.034); 10-MWT (pre 16.35 ± 9.34 seconds vs. post 13.25 ± 7.57 seconds; p = 0.021) and 6MWT (pre 166.22 ± 94.15 vs. post 206.66 ± 103.64; p = 0.048). No significant differences were observed in other outcomes.
Conclusions: Six weeks of LBPP gait training demonstrated initial potential to improve gait speed and walking endurance in individuals with chronic stroke.
Author(s) Disclosures: The author declare that I have no conflict of interest.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, the participant will be able to recognize the recent advancement in body weight support technology to improve gait and balance function in stroke patients.
Upon completion, the participant will be able to understand the effect of the lower body Positive pressure on gait and balance function on stroke patient.
Upon completion, the participant will be able to translate the findings from this study to clinical setting.
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