Targeted walking training of patients in the early recovery period of cerebral stroke (preliminary research)

Background: Currently, training of the gait function for patients with cerebral stroke using the biofeedback technology is an independent, effective, and promising method. The most common training and exposure parameters are the gait speed, cycle length, and cadence. However, the application of basic and more complex types of selective training using wearable sensor technology is rare due to the technological complexity of their use for biofeedback.

Aims: To study the possibility of using the biofeedback training technology with a targeted effect on one of the basic parameters characterizing the symmetry of walking, the duration of the support period, in patients in the early recovery period of cerebral stroke.

Methods: We examined 12 patients who underwent a course of biofeedback training to harmonize the period of support during the early recovery period of hemispheric cerebral stroke in the middle cerebral artery basin. The biomechanics of voluntary walking was investigated before and after the training. The spatio-temporal parameters of walking, kinematics of movements in the hip, knee, and ankle joints, and the maximum EMG amplitudes of the main muscle groups responsible for walking were recorded. The classical clinical scales were also used. The biofeedback training on a treadmill consisted of 10 sessions; the duration of the support period was the training parameter.

Results. As a result of the treatment, a significant improvement was noted according to the «Up&Go» clinical scale and Hauser’s walking index. The differences in the trained support phase after the treatment are not significant and demonstrate positive changes. The kinematics of movements in the joints also demonstrates relatively small, but significant changes for the knee joint. For the hip joint, no dynamics in the parameters’ values is observed; the joint function does not change significantly, and the amplitude asymmetry remains unchanged. For the knee joint, the greatest dynamics is observed for the main swing amplitude and its phase.

Conclusion: The study has shown that the purposeful biofeedback training of the gait function using the support period to reduce the functional asymmetry in this parameter, and also has a positive effect on other gait parameters.