Stroke
Conditions
Keywords
stroke, exercise, muscle strength, gait, rehabilitation
Brief summary
Background: A discrepancy between strength gain and gait changes following various training programs aimed at improving gait function after stroke has been noted. A mismatch between the training program and gait parameters could explain this finding. Objective: To evaluate the impact of an isokinetic-strengthening program, matching the requirements of the affected lower-limb muscle groups involved in the energy generation of gait, to a control intervention, on gait performance and muscle strength. Hypothesis: The isokinetic training program of the affected lower-limb muscles would produce greater changes in gait performance and strength than a control intervention not aiming at training these muscle groups. Design: Single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Participants: A convenient sample of 30 individuals with chronic hemiparesis. Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned into two groups (n=15), each training three times/week for six weeks. The experimental group trained the affected plantarflexors, hip flexors and extensors concentrically, while the control group trained the affected upper-limb muscles. Main outcome measures: Baseline values and post-training values, taken at the end of the training program, of maximal voluntary concentric strength, gait speed and peak positive power.
Interventions
OTHERisokinetic lower-limb training
concentric training of the affected plantarflexors, hip flexors and hip extensors
OTHERisokinetic upper-limb training
concentric training of the affected wrist extensors, elbow flexors and shoulder flexors
Sponsors
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Université de Montréal
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* have a chronic (six months or more) unilateral stroke * be able to walk 10 meters independently with or without a cane * present residual weakness at the affected lower limb * have an activity tolerance of at least two hours with a rest period
Exclusion criteria
* receptive aphasia * incontinence * unstable medical condition * history of injury * anesthesia at the lower limbs
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| change in gait speed | gait speed was assessed at baseline and at the completion of the 6-week training (i.e. week #7) | change in gait speed, in meter/second, was assessed as the difference between the baseline and week #7 values. |
| change in peak positive power | peak positive power was assessed at baseline and at the completion of the 6-week training (i.e. week #7) | peak positive power was evaluated at the affected plantarflexors, hip flexors and hip extensors. Also, change in peak positive power, in weight/kilogram, was assessed as the difference between the baseline and week #7 values. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| change in maximal voluntary concentric strength | maximal voluntary concentric strength was assessed at baseline and at the completion of the 6-week training (i.e. week #7) | maximal voluntary concentric strength was evaluated at the affected plantarflexors, hip flexors and hip extensors. Also, change in maximal voluntary concentric strength, in Newton-metre, was assessed as the difference between the baseline and week #7 values. |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed