Ann Rehabil Med.  2012 Aug;36(4):521-529. 10.5535/arm.2012.36.4.521.

Feasibility and Effects of Newly Developed Balance Control Trainer for Mobility and Balance in Chronic Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Lee SH
• Byun SD
• Kim CH
• Go JY
• Nam HU
• Huh JS
• Jung TD

• KMID: 2266723
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.2012.36.4.521

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the feasibility and effects of balance training with a newly developed Balance Control Trainer (BCT) that applied the concept of vertical movement for the improvements of mobility and balance in chronic stroke patients. METHOD: Forty chronic stroke patients were randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group. The experimental group (n=20) underwent training with a BCT for 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks, in addition to concurrent conventional physical therapy. The control group (n=20) underwent only conventional therapy for 4 weeks. All participants were assessed by: the Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC), 10-meter Walking Test (10mWT), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Korean Modified Barthel Index (MBI), and Manual Muscle Test (MMT) before training, and at 2 and 4 weeks of training.
RESULTS
There were statistically significant improvements in all parameters except knee extensor power at 2 weeks of treatment, and in all parameters except MBI which showed further statistically significant progress in the experimental group over the next two weeks (p<0.05). Statistically significant improvements on all measurements were observed in the experimental group after 4 weeks total. Comparing the two groups at 2 and 4 weeks of training respectively, 10mWT, TUG, and BBS showed statistically more significant improvements in the experimental group (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Balance training with a newly developed BCT is feasible and may be an effective tool to improve balance and gait in ambulatory chronic stroke patients. Furthermore, it may provide additional benefits when used in conjunction with conventional therapies.

Keyword

Balance; Gait; Mobility; Stroke

MeSH Terms

Gait
Humans
Mobility Limitation
Postural Balance
Stroke

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Flow diagram of this study. BCT: Balance control trainer.

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  Fig. 2 A Balance Control Trainer consists of two electronic scales, an infrared camera, and a computerized system that allows training games to use the data collected.

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  Fig. 3 The board cleaner game. When weight is shifted to either side, the cleaner moves horizontally and knee flexion/extension moves the cleaner vertically. The score is given as a percentage of the board cleaned in 2 minutes. The white area in this figure represents the area of the board that has been cleaned.

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  Fig. 4 6 Parameters (FAC, 10mWT, TUG, BBS, MBI and MMT) were assessed before treatment, after 2 and 4 weeks of training. During the first 2 weeks, there were statistically significant improvements in all parameters (FAC, 10mWT, TUG, BBS and MBI) except for knee extensor power in the experimental group, while only two parameters (BBS and MBI) were in the control group. Over the next two weeks, all parameters except MBI showed further statistically significant progress in the experimental group, while only one parameter (10mWT) was seen in the control group. Over a total of 4 weeks, all parameters and statistically significant improvements in the experimental group, while it was only 10mWT in control group. FAC: Functional Ambulation Categories, 10mWT: 10-meter Walking Test, TUG: Timed Up and Go test, BBS: Berg Balance Scale, MBI: Modified Barthel Index, MMT: Manual Muscle Test of the knee extensor.*p<0.05 by paired sample t test.

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