Dual-Task Training With Different Priority Instructional Sets on the Gait Parameters in Patients With Chronic Stroke
Condition: Stroke; Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke; Chronic Stroke
MeSH terms: Stroke; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Balance is controlled through a complex process involving sensory, visual, vestibular and
      cerebral functioning which get affected by various neurological disorders such as in stroke.
      Different types of exercises are designed to target to cope up with the imbalance developed
      due to these neurological disorders. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of dual-task
      training using two different priority instructional sets in improving gait parameters such as
      self-selected velocity, fast speed, step length, and stride length in chronic stroke
      patients.
    

Detailed description: 
      Balance is controlled through a complex process involving sensory, visual, vestibular and
      cerebral functioning which get affected by various neurological disorders such as in stroke.
      Different types of exercises are designed to target to cope up with the imbalance developed
      due to these neurological disorders. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of dual-task
      training using two different priority instructional sets in improving gait parameters such as
      self-selected velocity, fast speed, step length, and stride length in middle cerebral artery
      chronic stroke patients. A total of thirty middle cerebral artery chronic stroke patients
      were recruited on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria and equally allocated into
      two groups. Group 1 received dual-task training with fixed priority instructional sets for
      four weeks and group 2 received dual-task training with variable priority instructional sets
      for four weeks. The outcome was assessed using a 10-meter walk test and the comparison of
      footprints on the walkway paper before and after training.
    

Intervention name(s): Dual-task Training Fixed Priority; Dual-task Training Variable Priority
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Dual-task training fixed priority instructional set for four weeks. Balance training sessions of 45 minutes per day, 3 times a week for four weeks, so as to complete 9-12 hours of training warm-up improve the balance performance. This included 12 repetitions in each session for 30 minutes after a 10-minutes warm up.
Attention was focused on both postural and cognitive tasks throughout this session. In postural tasks, subjects were instructed to perform the following: walk narrow base of support with a cognitive task of counting backward by three walk narrow base of support with cognitive task of count forward by three, walk narrow base of support, step, sideways, backward avoiding the obstacles (holding a basket) with cognitive task to remember words.; Dual-task training variable priority instructional set for four weeks. Balance training sessions of 45 minutes per day, 3 times a week for four weeks, so as to complete 9-12 hours of training warm-up improve the balance performance. This included 12 repetitions in each session for 30 minutes after a 10-minutes warm up.
During the first half of the training session, attention was focused on postural tasks, while during the remaining half of the session, attention was focused on cognitive tasks.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Stroke; Gait velocity; Stride length; Step length; Balance training; Dual task; Institutional priority sets