The study investigates the potential of Electromyography (EMG)-triggered Constraint-Induced Movement Cycling Therapy (CIMCT) versus General Cycling Training (GCT) to enhance balance, strength, and daily activities in chronic stroke patients. Over a period of four weeks, this single-blind randomized controlled trial aims to explore how these interventions can assist in stroke rehabilitation. The research has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Kyungdong University and adheres to the ethical standards laid out in the Declaration of Helsinki.
This research evaluates the effectiveness of EMG-triggered CIMCT in improving balance, lower extremity strength, and activities of daily living (ADLs) for chronic stroke patients with hemiplegia, a condition typically resulting from a stroke. The study's scope includes: Duration and Type: A four-week, single-blind randomized controlled trial. Participants: Chronic stroke patients diagnosed with stroke-induced hemiplegia for more than six months, possessing specific levels of cognitive and motor recovery. Interventions: Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups: CIMCT Group: Utilizes an EMG-triggered Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy device designed to engage the affected lower extremity actively. GCT Group: Engages in activity using a standard stationary bicycle without EMG facilitation.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
58
The study tested an EMG-triggered CIMCT device for stroke rehab, involving EMG sensors, a stationary bike, and a control unit displaying muscle activity. The protocol included warm-up, therapist-guided exercises, and cool-down, performed under supervision.
The training aimed to improve overall physical fitness and potentially aid in stroke recovery through regular cycling activity, conducted under supervision to ensure participant safety and adherence to the protocol.
Department of Physicla Therapy, Sahmyook University
Seoul, South Korea
Muscle Strength
A manual muscle tester (Model 01163, Lafayette, USA, 2003) was used to evaluate lower extremity muscle strength in this study. The knee extensors, knee flexors, dorsiflexors, and plantar flexors, which are primarily responsible for the pedaling motion, were assessed. Moreover, both sides were evaluated.
Time frame: baseline-4weeks
Static Balance
This study utilized a commercially available GB300 (Metitur Ltd., Jyvaskyla, Finland) posture measurement system for posture measurement, which included a movable triangular-shaped platform and a ruler that displayed the position of the feet. The aforementioned system was useful for analyzing balance problems and the effectiveness of rehabilitation. The posture management system is also commonly used to assess balance ability in athletes, older individuals, patients with stroke, and patients with hemiplegia. The sampling frequency was set at 50 Hz. The participants stood with their eyes open and facing forward for 30 s while fixed to the equipment; this was repeated three times. Subsequently, they stood in the same position with their eyes closed and facing forward for 30 s for three additional measurements.
Time frame: baseline-4weeks
Timed Up and Go (TUG)
The Timed up-and-go (TUG) test was used to assess the balance ability in this study. In the test, the participant sits in a chair with armrests, rises from the chair at the same time as the word "start" is spoken, walks at the most stable and comfortable speed to a point 3 m in front of them, and then returns and measures the time to sit down in the chair. It has a high intra-rater reliability (r=.99) and inter-rater reliability (r=.98). The raters performed three measurements using a stopwatch and recorded the average value.
Time frame: baseline-4weeks
Berg Balance Scale
The Berg Balance Scale is used to assess functional balance in a wide range of participants, including older individuals at a high risk of falling and patients with acute and chronic diseases. Moreover, Berg Balance Scale is a functional balance test method that considers three aspects of functional balance: postural maintenance, postural control by manual exercise, and response to external perturbations. these activities are scored from 0 to 4, with 0 being the worst and 4 being the best performance of independent tasks. The maximum total score is 56 points. A lower score suggests impaired stability.
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Time frame: baseline-4weeks
Functional Reach Test (FRT)
The functional reach test (FRT) assesses the limits of physical stability and measures dynamic balance and flexibility while the participant performs a functional task. The FRT measures the maximum distance a participant can extend their arm forward from a standing position while maintaining fixed support. The distance was measured in centimeters using a Laser Rangefinder (DLE50, BOSCH, Germany). The results represented the averages of three consecutive measurements. The reliability of this test was 0.89.
Time frame: baseline-4weeks
Modified Barthel Index (MBI)
The modified Barthel index (MBI) developed by was used to measure the performance of daily living behaviors. The MBI consists of 10 items: self-care, bathing, feeding, climbing stairs, dressing, bowel control, bladder control, walking, and transferring. The scoring system ranged from 5 to 15, with a score of 100 if all items could be performed completely independently. The inter-rater reliability was 0.93-0.98, and the Cronbach's alpha value was 0.84.
Time frame: baseline-4weeks