Does Intensive Task Specific Training Improve Balance After Acute Stroke?

Norwegian University of Science and Technology62 enrolled

Overview

The aim of this study is to investigate whether additional task specific physiotherapy treatment and a self administrated home training program results in better balance compared to traditional follow up care.

Increased risk of falling is a major problem after stroke and impaired balance is one of the main reasons for falling. Early and intensive physiotherapy seems to be beneficial for functional outcome after stroke although it is still unknown whether one specific physiotherapy technique is better than another. Comparison: Traditional follow up care by the community health care system with additional task specific physiotherapy three times a week and a daily self administrated home training program compared to traditional follow up care by the community health care system.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Cerebrovascular Accident

Interventions

Physical therapy technique and exercisesBEHAVIORAL

The experimental group receives task specific physical therapy three times a week for the first four weeks after discharge from hospital and one session pr week for the next eight weeks in addition to ordinary physical therapy The active comparator group receives only ordinary physical therapy during this period.

Eligibility

Sex: ALL

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Admitted to the stroke unit with a diagnosis of stroke * Living in the city of Trondheim * Included 4 - 14 days after first sign of symptoms * Modified Rankin Scale \> 3 before admission to hospital * Scandinavian Stroke Scale (SSS) less than 58 points and more than 14 points * SSS leg item less than 6 points or SSS movement item less than 12 points * Discharged to home or a rehabilitation clinic * Mini Mental State Examination Score more than 20 points * Able and willing to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Seriously heart- and lung-diseases * Other diseases which makes it difficult to evaluate the function * Already included in the trial

Locations (1)

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

The Berg Balance Scale

Time frame: Inclusion, four weeks follow-up, twelve weeks follow-up and six months follow-up

Secondary Outcomes

Mini Mental State Examination

Time frame: Inclusion

Scandinavian Stroke Scale

Time frame: Inclusion

Motor Assessment Scale