Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether post-stroke participants can walk at different
combinations of stride frequency and stride length and how these adaptations
affect the backward and medio-lateral margins of stability.
SETTING: Computer
Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN).
PARTICIPANTS: Ten post-stroke
individuals. INTERVENTION:
Six trials of 2 min walking on a treadmill at
different combinations of stride frequency and stride length. Treadmill speed was
set at the corresponding speed, and subjects received visual feedback about the
required and actual stride length. OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean stride length and
frequency and backward and medio-lateral margins of stability for each trial.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Stroke patients were able to adjust step length when
required, but had difficulty adjusting step frequency. When a stride frequency
higher than self-selected stride frequency was imposed patients additionally
needed to increase stride length in order to match the imposed treadmill speed.
For trials at a high stride frequency, in particular, the increase in the
backward and medio-lateral margins of stability was limited. In conclusion,
training post-stroke individuals to increase stride frequency during walking
might give them more opportunities to increase the margins of stability and consequently reduce fall risk.

Langue : ANGLAIS