Gait Perturbations to Improve Balance Post-stroke

Unpredictable Perturbations During Gait to Improve Balance Performance, Confidence and Participation in Persons With Hemiparesis at a Chronic Stage: a Pilot Study

Individuals with stroke have balance and gait deficits. Gait training does improve balance and gait abilities, but adding perturbations may have increase these effects. The objective was to compare the effect gait training with and without perturbations on balance and gait abilities in individuals with hemiparesis due to stroke at a chronic stage.

Inclusion Criteria:

• able to walk at a comfortable speed less than 1.0 m/s
• have reduced dynamic balance capacities (as evaluated by the mini-BESTest; score below the 95% confidence interval of the mean score of the corresponding age group of normative data)
• with or without a history of fall
• be able to walk on a treadmill, without external support, such as handrails or walking aid, for at least 1 minute

Exclusion Criteria:

• hemineglect (more than 6 omissions on the bell cancellation test),
• cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination score under 24/30)
• uncorrected visual deficit or pathologies other than stroke which can affect their gait or balance