Article

Objective: To evaluate the concept of C-Mill gait adaptability training. Design:
Pre- and post-intervention assessments. Subjects: Sixteen community-dwelling
persons in the chronic phase after stroke (mean age 54.8 years). Methods:
Participants received 10 sessions (1 h per session, for 5-6 weeks) of gait
adaptability training on an instrumented treadmill augmented with visual targets
and obstacles (C-Mill). Pre- and post-intervention assessments included: (i)
clinical assessments of balance and gait: 10-m walking test, Timed Up-and-Go
test, Berg Balance Scale, obstacle sub-task of the Emory Functional Ambulation
Profile, and the Trunk Impairment Scale; (ii) physical activity level, assessed
with a pedometer; (iii) success rate of accurate step adjustments towards a
displacing target, assessed with an instrumented Target-Stepping Task; (iv)
participant's experience with the training. Results: All clinical assessments
improved significantly after training (all p < 0.05), except for the Trunk
Impairment Scale (p = 0.584). Physical activity increased by 19.6% (p < 0.05).
Improvements in Target-Stepping Task success rates depended on the specific
testing condition (time x body support x step direction, chi2(1) = 3.884, p <
0.05). All participants appreciated the training. Conclusion: The concept of
C-Mill gait adaptability training in the chronic phase after stroke is promising
and warrants future research involving a randomized controlled trial.

Langue : ANGLAIS