Reporting of Adverse Events in Studies Involving Treadmill Gait Training After Stroke: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background

Treadmill gait training has been widely employed in post-Stroke Rehabilitation. This form of training is not exempt from complications. As with any healthcare intervention, reports of adverse events must be adequately documented.

Objective

To assess the reporting of adverse events in clinical trials utilizing treadmill training in individuals with Stroke.

Methods

Searches were carried out in seven databases, spanning from October to November 2019, with updates in May and June 2021, as well as in November and December 2022. Studies mentioning adverse events and having full-text available in English, Portuguese, or Spanish were considered. Outcome measures were occurrence, assessment, type, and severity of adverse events.

Results

Fifty-one studies were included with 1,571 participants. The most frequent adverse events reported were pain (6 studies), new strokes (6 studies), and medical complications (4 studies) were the most commonly observed. Studies whose groups underwent treadmill training reported a higher number of adverse events compared to groups that did not receive this intervention.

Conclusions

The reporting of adverse events in studies involving treadmill training post-stroke is inconsistent and non-systematic. There appears to be an association between treadmill training and the occurrence of adverse events in this population.