Article

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between dynamic
sitting balance and walking ability in stroke patients. Patients were evaluated
using functional independence measure (FIM), and those with a locomotion score of
5 or below were categorized into the dependent walking and below group (dependent group) and those with a score of 6 or above were categorized into the independent
walking group (independent group). They were asked to take a sitting position at
the center of an unstable platform (seesaw). The experimenter passively tilted
the unstable platform to the paretic side or non-paretic side by 10 degrees in
the frontal plane. The unstable platform was released suddenly, with the
experimenter supporting the platform with both hands, and the subjects were asked
to control their posture so that their body axis came to the vertical position
and the platform came to the horizontal position in the frontal plane. As a
result, the body axis of left hemiplegic patients significantly tilted to the
non-paretic side. On the other hand, in the dependent group in the right as well
as left hemiplegic patients, the patients heads were tilted to the side from
which tilting was started, though not significantly in both conditions. This
study demonstrated that patients with poor walking function have a deviated
verticality of the head and the body axis. We surmise that patients whose body
axis tilts towards the non-paretic side during a dynamic balance maintenance task
like this test would have lower walking independence.

Langue : ANGLAIS