Purpose: To assess the effects of rehabilitation in thirty-seven
ambulatory patients with chronic stroke during three weeks in-patient
rehabilitation period. Methods: In the intervention group, each patient
received 75 min physiotherapy daily every workday including 20 minutes in the
electromechanical gait trainer with body-weight support (BWS). In the control
group, each patient participated in 45 min conventional physiotherapy daily.
Motor ability was assessed with the first five items of the Modified Motor
Assessment Scale (MMAS
$_{1-5}$
) and ten meters walking speed.
Spatio-temporal gait characteristics were recorded with an electrical walkway.
Results: The MMAS
$_{1-5}$
(p < 0.0005 and p = 0.005) and
ten meters walking time (p < 0.0005 and p = 0.006) improved in both groups.
The improvements in MMAS
$_{1-5}$
and ten meters walking time
did not differ between the groups (p = 0.217 and p = 0.195). Specific gait
characteristics improved only in the intervention group, as seen in increased
Functional Ambulation Profile score (p = 0.023), velocity (p = 0.023), the step
lengths (affected side, p = 0.011, non-affected side p = 0.040), the stride
lengths (p = 0.018, p = 0.006) and decreased step-time differential (p =
0.043). Furthermore, all gait characteristics and other motor abilities
remained in the discharge level at the six months in the intervention group.
Conclusions: It appears that BWS training gives a long-lasting benefit in gait
qualities even in chronic stroke patients.
