Does Therapeutic Facilitation Add to Locomotor Outcome of Body Weight−Supported Treadmill Training in Nonambulatory Patients With Stroke? A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Published in: Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation Vol. 87; no. 4; pp. 529 - 535
• Main Authors: Yagura, Hajime, Hatakenaka, Megumi, Miyai, Ichiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.04.2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Chi-Square Distribution; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Gait; Gait Disorders, Neurologic - rehabilitation; Hemiplegia; Hemiplegia - rehabilitation; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Neurology; Physical Therapy Modalities; Proportional Hazards Models; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Rehabilitation; Stroke; Stroke Rehabilitation; Treadmill test; Treatment Outcome; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Weight-bearing; Hemiplegia; Stroke; Rehabilitation; Gait; Treadmill test; Weight-bearing; Prognosis; Motor system disorder; Body weight; Cardiovascular disease; Vascular disease; Regulation(control); Reeducation; Clinical trial; Hospital; Neurological disorder; Cerebrovascular disease; Weight bearing; Facilitation; Human; Speed; Nervous system diseases; Instruments; Cerebral disorder; Leg; Walking; Treatment; Orthopedics; Central nervous system disease; Technique; Arm
• ISSN: 0003-9993; 1532-821X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2005.11.035

Yagura H, Hatakenaka M, Miyai I. Does therapeutic facilitation add to locomotor outcome of body weight−supported treadmill training in nonambulatory patients with stroke? A randomized controlled trial. To assess benefit of the facilitation technique (FT) coupled with body weight–supported treadmill training (BWSTT) in nonambulatory patients with stroke. Randomized controlled trial. Inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Forty-nine patients with nonambulatory patients with stroke were randomly allocated to BWSTT coupled with the FT or mechanical assistance (control). Swinging and stance of the paretic leg were assisted using the FT or mechanically (control) during BWSTT. The FIM instrument, Fugl-Meyer Assessment, gait speed, and cadence. Demographic and clinical features of the FT (n=22) and control (n=25) groups on admission were comparable after excluding 2 dropouts. There were no differences in the gains of the main outcome measures between the FT and control groups. Patients with severe impairment in the FT group had greater gains in arm function than those in the control group. The FT did not add significantly to locomotor outcome of BWSTT in nonambulatory patients with stroke but it did require more therapists’ assistance.