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Completed

NCT Number: NCT01818349

Impact of Training on Gait and Strength in Stroke Survivors

Background: A discrepancy between strength gain and gait changes following various training programs aimed at improving gait function after stroke has been noted. A mismatch between the training program and gait parameters could explain this finding.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of an isokinetic-strengthening program, matching the requirements of the affected lower-limb muscle groups involved in the energy generation of gait, to a control intervention, on gait performance and muscle strength.

Hypothesis: The isokinetic training program of the affected lower-limb muscles would produce greater changes in gait performance and strength than a control intervention not aiming at training these muscle groups.

Design: Single-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Participants: A convenient sample of 30 individuals with chronic hemiparesis.

Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned into two groups (n=15), each training three times/week for six weeks. The experimental group trained the affected plantarflexors, hip flexors and extensors concentrically, while the control group trained the affected upper-limb muscles.

Main outcome measures: Baseline values and post-training values, taken at the end of the training program, of maximal voluntary concentric strength, gait speed and peak positive power.

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Key information

Conditions

Stroke Behavior Brain Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cerebrovascular Disorders Motor Activity Nervous System Diseases Vascular Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay

Montreal, Quebec, H3S 1M9, Canada

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • have a chronic (six months or more) unilateral stroke
  • be able to walk 10 meters independently with or without a cane
  • present residual weakness at the affected lower limb
  • have an activity tolerance of at least two hours with a rest period

Exclusion criteria

  • receptive aphasia
  • incontinence
  • unstable medical condition
  • history of injury
  • anesthesia at the lower limbs

Treatment and study plan

isokinetic lower-limb training

Other

concentric training of the affected plantarflexors, hip flexors and hip extensors

isokinetic upper-limb training

Other

concentric training of the affected wrist extensors, elbow flexors and shoulder flexors

Primary outcomes

  1. change in gait speed

    Time frame: gait speed was assessed at baseline and at the completion of the 6-week training (i.e. week #7)

    change in gait speed, in meter/second, was assessed as the difference between the baseline and week #7 values.

  2. change in peak positive power

    Time frame: peak positive power was assessed at baseline and at the completion of the 6-week training (i.e. week #7)

    peak positive power was evaluated at the affected plantarflexors, hip flexors and hip extensors. Also, change in peak positive power, in weight/kilogram, was assessed as the difference between the baseline and week #7 values.

Secondary outcomes

  1. change in maximal voluntary concentric strength

    Time frame: maximal voluntary concentric strength was assessed at baseline and at the completion of the 6-week training (i.e. week #7)

    maximal voluntary concentric strength was evaluated at the affected plantarflexors, hip flexors and hip extensors. Also, change in maximal voluntary concentric strength, in Newton-metre, was assessed as the difference between the baseline and week #7 values.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Université de Montréal

Other

Collaborators

  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Registry information

Official study title

Gait Performance and Lower-limb Muscle Strength Improved in Both Upper-limb and Lower-limb Isokinetic Training Programs in Individuals With Chronic Stroke

Important dates

Study start
2002
Primary completion
2005
Study completion
2007
First posted
Mar 26, 2013
Registry last updated
Mar 26, 2013

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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