Immediate effects of a novel walking assist device with auxiliary illuminator on patients after acute strokes

Effectiveness of an 8-week overground walking with paretic lower limb loading on spatiotemporal gait parameters and motor function among chronic stroke survivors: a protocol for randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Post-stroke gait deviations contribute to significant functional disability, impaired walking ability and poor quality of life. Prior studies suggest that gait training with paretic lower limb loading may improve gait parameters and walking ability in post-stroke. However, most gait training methods used in these studies are not readily available, and studies using cheaper methods are limited.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to describe a protocol for a randomised controlled trial on the effectiveness of an 8-week overground walking with paretic lower limb loading on spatiotemporal gait parameters and motor function among chronic stroke survivors.

METHODS

This is a two-center, single-blind, two-arm parallel randomised controlled trial. Forty-eight stroke survivors with mild to moderate disability will be recruited from two tertiary facilities and randomly assigned into two intervention arms; overground walking with paretic lower limb loading or overground walking without paretic lower limb loading in a 1:1 ratio. All interventions will be administered thrice weekly for 8 weeks. Primary outcomes will be step length and gait speed whereas the secondary outcomes will include step length symmetry ratio, stride length, stride length symmetry ratio, stride width, cadence and motor function. All outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 4, 8 and 20 weeks after the start of intervention.

DISCUSSION

This will be the first randomised controlled trial to report the effects of overground walking with paretic lower limb loading on spatiotemporal gait parameters and motor function among chronic stroke survivors from low-resource setting.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05097391. Registered on 27 October 2021.

Efficacy of a novel walking assist device with auxiliary laser illuminator in stroke Patients~ a randomized control trial

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Task-oriented functional walking is important in stroke patients. We aimed to investigate effects of a quad-cane with auxiliary laser illuminator (laser-cane) among stroke patients.

METHODS

This was a randomized-prospective study. Patients in the experimental group (EG) received 15-min of walking training with laser-cane and 15-min of traditional physical therapy. Patients in the control group (CG) received the same rehabilitation without laser-cane. The rehabilitation lasted for 4 weeks, twice per week. Primary outcome were gait parameters. Secondary outcomes were Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), and Barthel index (BI). Outcomes were measured at baseline, at the end of the rehabilitation (visit-1), and 4 weeks later (visit-2).

RESULTS

Both the groups (both n = 15) showed improvement of cadence, relative stance and swing phase duration of non-paretic side, BBS, and TUG at both visits. In the intragroup comparison, the EG additionally improved at stride length, relative stance and swing phase duration of paretic side, and gait speed at both visits; temporal swing symmetry, and toe-off angle of non-paretic side at the visit-2. Intergroup comparing for changing of outcomes with the CG, stride length and gait speed increased, relative stance phase duration of the non-paretic site decreased, and the temporal swing symmetry improved at the visit-1; relative stance phase duration of the paretic side decreased and the temporal stance symmetry improved at the visit-2 in the EG.

CONCLUSION

Rehabilitation with laser-cane improved the balance, activity of daily living, gait symmetry and gait parameters of stroke patients.