HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Rapid Responses are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Malouin, F. Articles by Wood-Dauphinee, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Malouin, F. Articles by Wood-Dauphinee, S. Related Collections Gait and Locomotion Training Gait Disorders Hemiplegia/Paraplegia/Quadriplegia Stroke (Neurology) Case Reports Stroke (Geriatrics) Related Articles Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

Use of an Intensive Task-Oriented Gait Training Program in a Series of Patients with Acute Cerebrovascular Accidents

F Malouin, PhD, PT, is Professor, Physiotherapy Department, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, and Neurobiology Research Center, Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus, 1401, 18e Rue, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada G1J 1Z4.
M Potvin, PT, is Physical Therapist, Department of Physical Therapy, Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus.
J Prévost, PT, is Physical Therapist, Department of Physical Therapy, Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus.
CL Richards, PhD, PT, is Professor and Director, Physiotherapy Department, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, and Neurobiology Research Center, Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus.
S Wood-Dauphinee, PhD, PT, is Associate Professor and Director, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1Y5.

The aims of this case report are to describe the application of an early and intensive task-oriented physical therapy program for gait relearning following stroke and to report the patients' ability to comply with the program. Ten patients, 60 to 75 years of age (=69.8, SD=7.3), with a middle cerebral artery infarct (confirmed by computerized tomography) were assigned to this special physical therapy program. Patients were treated twice a day, 5 days a week, from the eighth day after stroke for 5 consecutive weeks. To promote gait relearning, a program of early standing (using a tilt table when necessary), combined with weight-shifting exercises and feedback via a limb-load monitor as well as locomotor activities including exercises on a Kinetron and treadmill walking, was adapted for each patient's level of motor recovery. Walking on the treadmill (with a safety harness) was initiated as early as the second week after stroke in 4 patients, and all patients had started Kinetron training by the second week. Except for 1 patient, who was withdrawn from the study because of an infection, all patients showed good treatment compliance (93.6%) with the planned 50 treatments and were able to withstand a mean treatment duration of 44.8 minutes (SD=6.3, range=37.5–58.5), twice a day, during the first week of the program (8th to 14th day after stroke). Results from this pilot project indicate that intensive and graded locomotor activities can be very well tolerated in the early period after stroke.

Key Words: Acute stroke • Gait • Hemiplegia • Physical therapy

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Related Articles

Commentary

Carol A Giuliani and Pamela W Duncan
Physical Therapy 1992 72: 789-792. [Abstract] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C.-L. Yen, R.-Y. Wang, K.-K. Liao, C.-C. Huang, and Y.-R. Yang Gait Training Induced Change in Corticomotor Excitability in Patients With Chronic Stroke Neurorehabil Neural Repair, February 1, 2008; 22(1): 22 - 30. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. L. Richards, F. Malouin, G. Bravo, F. Dumas, and S. Wood-Dauphinee The Role of Technology in Task-Oriented Training in Persons with Subacute Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial Neurorehabil Neural Repair, December 1, 2004; 18(4): 199 - 211. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. Dickstein, A. Dunsky, and E. Marcovitz Motor Imagery for Gait Rehabilitation in Post-Stroke Hemiparesis Physical Therapy, December 1, 2004; 84(12): 1167 - 1177. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R P. Van Peppen, G Kwakkel, S Wood-Dauphinee, H J. Hendriks, P. J Van der Wees, and J Dekker The impact of physical therapy on functional outcomes after stroke: what's the evidence? Clinical Rehabilitation, August 1, 2004; 18(8): 833 - 862. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. L Morgan, G. P Cullen, M. Stokes, and A. V Swan Effects of knee joint angle and tilt table incline on force distribution at the feet and supporting straps Clinical Rehabilitation, August 1, 2003; 17(8): 871 - 878. [Abstract] [PDF]

				E. W. Miller, M. E Quinn, and P. G. Seddon Body Weight Support Treadmill and Overground Ambulation Training for Two Patients With Chronic Disability Secondary to Stroke Physical Therapy, January 1, 2002; 82(1): 53 - 61. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R.F. Macko, C.A. DeSouza, L.D. Tretter, K.H. Silver, G.V. Smith, P.A. Anderson, N. Tomoyasu, P. Gorman, and D.R. Dengel Treadmill Aerobic Exercise Training Reduces the Energy Expenditure and Cardiovascular Demands of Hemiparetic Gait in Chronic Stroke Patients: A Preliminary Report Stroke, February 1, 1997; 28(2): 326 - 330. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				S. Hesse, C. Bertelt, M. T. Jahnke, A. Schaffrin, P. Baake, M. Malezic, and K. H. Mauritz Treadmill Training With Partial Body Weight Support Compared With Physiotherapy in Nonambulatory Hemiparetic Patients Stroke, June 1, 1995; 26(6): 976 - 981. [Abstract] [Full Text]