Home-based motor imagery training for gait rehabilitation of people with chronic poststroke hemiparesis.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE:
To test the feasibility and efficacy of a home-based motor imagery gait training program to improve walking performance of individuals with chronic poststroke hemiparesis.

DESIGN:
Nonrandomized controlled trial.

SETTING:
Local facility.

PARTICIPANTS:
Participants (N=17) were community-dwelling volunteers with hemiparesis caused by a unilateral stroke that occurred at least 3 months before the study.

INTERVENTION:
Participants received 15 minutes of supervised imagery gait training in their homes 3 days a week for 6 weeks. The intervention addressed gait impairments of the affected lower limb and task-specific gait training. Walking ability was evaluated by kinematics and functional scales twice before the intervention, 3 and 6 weeks after the intervention began, and at the 3-week follow-up.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Spatiotemporal, kinematic, and functional walking measurements.

RESULTS:
Walking speed increased significantly by 40% after training, and the gains were largely maintained at the 3-week follow-up. The effect size of the intervention on walking speed was moderate (.64). There were significant increases in stride length, cadence, and single-support time of the affected lower limb, whereas double-support time was decreased. Improvements were also noted on the gait scale of the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment as well as in functional gait. Sixty-five percent of the participants advanced 1 walking category in the Modified Functional Walking Categories Index.

CONCLUSIONS:
Although further study is recommended, the findings support the feasibility and justify the incorporation of home-based motor imagery exercises to improve walking skills for poststroke hemiparesis.

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Author information

Author/s: Dunsky, Ayelet (A); Dickstein, Ruth (R); Marcovitz, Emanuel (E); Levy, Sandra (S); Deutsch, Judith (J);

Affiliation: The Zinman College of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel. ayelet@wincol.ac.il

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Controlled Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation (Arch Phys Med Rehabil), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Aug; vol 89 (issue 8) : pp 1580-8

Dates: Created 2008/08/04;

PMID: 18674992, status: In-Process (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

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