Treadmill-Based Locomotor Training with Leg Weights in People with Chronic Stroke

BACKGROUND OF STUDY: Novel locomotor training strategies for individuals with disorders of the central nervous system have associated with the improved locomotor function. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to find the effects of treadmill-based locomotor training with leg weights in individuals with chronic stroke. We assessed impairment and gait parameters in functional ambulation persons with chronic stroke. METHODS: We used a Pretest-posttest design. Twenty individuals with chronic stroke who were community ambulatory were recruited. Participants underwent 30-minute treadmill-based locomotor training sessions three times per week for four weeks. The training program involved treadmill walking for 30 minutes with partial body weight support as needed. Leg weights, equivalent to 5% of body weight affixed around the paretic leg. Gait parameters such as cadence, step length, and stride length and the Modified Emory Functional Ambulation Profile (mEFAP) as an outcome measures used. RESULTS: Improvements were more significant in cadence than other gait parameters such as step length and stride length. The more significant improvement was seen in step length than in stride length. In mEFAP, 5.98% improvement was seen showing enhanced the functional ambulatory capacity of participants. In Chedokemcmaster Stroke Assessment Activity Inventory, 4.27% improvement was seen. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that treadmill-based locomotor training combined with leg weights could be a feasible approach for improving the ability to perform complex walking tasks, such as stair climbing, in individuals with chronic stroke.