Article

Rehabilitation interventions designed to enhance balance control in individuals
with acute stroke are quite limited. The goal was to develop and assess a
technique of early pregait balance training involving the use of a combination of
force platform visual feedback and the unweighting system in individuals with
recent stroke. A total of 28 individuals with acute stroke were randomly divided
into the experimental and control groups: individuals included in the
experimental group received 1 week of treatment on the basis of retraining
balance utilizing visual biofeedback (Balance Master) while provided with a body
weight support harness system, whereas the individuals in the control group
received conventional treatment. Both the groups undertook identical tests
(Fugl-Meyer Balance test, Functional Independence Measure test for gait, and
Fugl-Meyer lower extremity assessment) before the start of treatment and after
its completion. Individuals in the experimental group showed larger gains as seen
in the increased scores of the Fugl-Meyer Balance test and the Functional
Independence Measure test for gait as compared with the control group. The
outcome of the study provides a basis for future investigations of the
applicability of the intervention in early balance rehabilitation of individuals
with neurological disorders.

Langue : ANGLAIS