Early cycling test as a predictor of walking performance in stroke patients

What factors at discharge predict physical activity and walking outcomes 6 months after stroke? A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify factors at hospital discharge that predict physical activity and walking outcomes in the first 6 months after stroke.

DATA SOURCES

Searches were conducted in CINAHL (EBSCO), Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus from inception to 30 April 2024. Reference lists of included articles were manually screened to identify additional studies.

REVIEW METHODS

Studies of adults with stroke reporting predictors at hospital discharge and outcomes of physical activity or walking across the first 6 months after hospital discharge were included. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts and reviewed full texts. Quality of included studies was assessed with Quality in Prognostic Studies screening tool. A narrative synthesis was undertaken.

RESULTS

The search strategy retrieved 7834 studies, from which 6 eligible studies were identified, including a total of 1433 participants. Overall, studies had a low risk of bias. Age, balance, walking speed and walking distance at hospital discharge predicted physical activity outcomes after stroke (n = 2 studies). Cognition, lower limb cycling rhythm and self-efficacy for walking at hospital discharge predicted walking outcomes after stroke (n = 4 studies).

CONCLUSIONS

A range of factors predicted physical activity and walking outcomes 6 months after stroke. Physical capabilities at discharge appear to be a predictor of these outcomes; however, this needs to be interpreted with caution. Diverse measures and time points were used across studies to characterise physical activity and walking outcomes, highlighting the need for consistency in measurement and longitudinal studies in stroke research.

Effects of Lower Limb Reciprocal Pedalling Exercise on Motor Function after Stroke: A Systematic Review of Randomized and Nonrandomized Studies

This review systematically synthesized current evidence on the effects of lower limb reciprocal pedalling exercise on motor function poststroke. Detailed analysis of single studies in the review revealed multiple instances of heterogeneity including outcome measures; therefore we decided to avoid undertaking a single, potentially misleading meta-analysis. We found that despite beneficial (although nondefinitive) effects on balance, functional independence, and muscle strength, it is not possible to make clinical recommendations that support or refute the use of reciprocal pedalling exercise to enhance recovery of motor function after stroke. Our findings provide proof-of-concept for pedalling interventions and provide a foundation for subsequent research, suggesting a need for further standardized, controlled clinical trials of clearly described pedalling interventions for stroke survivors and with subsequent transparent reported findings.

The effectiveness of locomotor therapy using robotic-assisted gait training in subacute stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of early and prolonged locomotor treatment with the use of a robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT) device (Lokomat; Hocoma Inc., Zurich, Switzerland) on the functional outcomes of patients after subacute stroke.

DESIGN

A nonblinded prospective, randomized, controlled study.

SETTING

Rehabilitation department in tertiary university medical center.

PATIENTS

Sixty-seven patients in the first 3 months after subacute stroke were randomized into 2 groups as follows. Thirty-seven patients were treated with RAGT, and 30 were treated with regular physiotherapy. Inclusion criteria were first stroke, independent ambulation before the stroke, and neurological severity between 6 and 20 according to the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS).

INTERVENTION

RAGT treatment was administered 3 times a week for 30 minutes, combined with regular physiotherapy for 6 weeks. Control patients received the equivalent additional time of regular physiotherapy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

The primary outcome was the ability to walk independently, as assessed by use of the functional ambulatory capacity scale. The secondary outcomes included the neurological status according to the NIHSS; functional motor assessment (determined by use of the stroke activity scale); and gait parameters, including gait velocity, endurance, and number of climbed stairs.

RESULTS

In the intention-to-treat analysis, subjects in the RAGT group exhibited greater gains than the control group in their ability to walk independently, as expressed by a greater functional ambulatory capacity score (P < .01), and in their neurological status according to NIHSS (P < .01). Among those who achieved independent walking, nonsignificant differences between groups were noted according to secondary outcome measures of gait parameters except from step climbing.

CONCLUSION

This controlled study showed, at the end of a 6-week trial, that locomotor therapy with the use of RAGT combined with regular physiotherapy produced promising effects on functional and motor outcomes in patients after subacute stroke as compared with regular physiotherapy alone.