Clinical trial NCT01818349: Impact of Training on Gait and Strength in Stroke Survivors
Official title: Gait Performance and Lower-limb Muscle Strength Improved in Both Upper-limb and Lower-limb Isokinetic Training Programs in Individuals With Chronic Stroke
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Stroke
Keywords: stroke
exercise
muscle strength
gait
rehabilitation
Lead sponsor: Université de Montréal
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
First posted: 2013-03-26
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: 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.


Eligibility criteria: 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

Primary outcomes:
measure: change in gait speed
timeFrame: gait speed was assessed at baseline and at the completion of the 6-week training (i.e. week #7)
measure: change in peak positive power
timeFrame: peak positive power was assessed at baseline and at the completion of the 6-week training (i.e. week #7)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: change in maximal voluntary concentric strength
timeFrame: maximal voluntary concentric strength was assessed at baseline and at the completion of the 6-week training (i.e. week #7)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Montréal
country: Canada
facility: Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay
state: Quebec
Study officials:
affiliation: Université de Montréal
name: Sylvie Nadeau, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: