Effects of gait training with body weight support on a treadmill vs. overground for individuals with stroke

Publication date: Available online 27 December 2016
Source:Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Author(s): Gabriela L. Gama, Melissa L. Celestino, José A. Barela, Larry Forrester, Jill Whitall, Ana M.F. Barela
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of gait training with body weight support on a treadmill vs. overground in individuals with chronic stroke.DesignRandomized controlled trial.SettingUniversity research laboratoryParticipantsTwenty-eight individuals with chronic stroke (> 6 months).InterventionsParticipants were randomly assigned to receive gait training with BWS on a treadmill (n=14) or overground (n=14) three times a week for six weeks.Main Outcome MeasuresOverground gait speed, 6-minute walk test, motor domain of the functional independence measure, lower extremity domain of Fugl-Meyer movement assessment, step length, step-length symmetry ratio and single limb support duration. Measurements were obtained at baseline (T0), immediately after (T1) and six weeks after (T2) the training session.ResultsAt T1, both groups improved in all outcome measures except paretic step-length and step-symmetry, which were only improved in the overground group (p=0.01 and p=0.01 respectively). At T2, all improvements remained and the treadmill group also improved paretic step length (p<0.001) but not step-symmetry (p>0.05).ConclusionsIndividuals with chronic stroke equally improve gait speed and other gait parameters after 18 sessions of BWS gait training on either treadmill or overground. Only the overground group improved step symmetry, suggesting a role for integrating overground walking into BWS interventions post-stroke.



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