Article

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of action observation training involving
community-based ambulation for improving walking ability after stroke. DESIGN:
Randomized, controlled pilot study. SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation hospital.
SUBJECTS: A total of 25 inpatients with post-stroke hemiparesis were randomly
assigned to either the experimental group ( n = 12)
or control group ( n = 13).
INTERVENTION: Subjects of the experimental group watched video clips
demonstrating four-staged ambulation training with a more complex environment
factor for 30 minutes, three times a week for four weeks. Meanwhile, subjects of
the control group watched video clips, which showed different landscape pictures.
MAIN MEASURES: Walking function was evaluated before and after the four-week
intervention using a 10-m walk test, community walk test, activities-specific
balance confidence scale, and spatiotemporal gait measures. RESULTS: Changes in
the values for the 10-m walk test (0.17 +/-0.19 m/s vs. 0.05 +/-0.08 m/s),
community walk test (-151.42 +/-123.82 seconds vs. 67.08 +/-176.77 seconds), and
activities-specific balance confidence (6.25 +/-5.61 scores vs. 0.72 +/-2.24
scores) and the spatiotemporal parameters (i.e. stride length (19.00 +/-11.34 cm
vs. 3.16 +/-11.20 cm), single support (5.87 +/-5.13% vs. 0.25 +/-5.95%), and
velocity (15.66 +/-12.34 cm/s vs. 2.96 +/-10.54 cm/s)) indicated a significant
improvement in the experimental group compared with the control group. In the
experimental group, walking function and ambulation confidence was significantly
different between the pre- and post-intervention, whereas the control group
showed a significant difference only in the 10-m walk test. CONCLUSIONS: Action
observation training of community ambulation may be favorably used for improving
walking function of patients with post-stroke hemiparesis.

Langue : ANGLAIS