Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate corticomotor changes induced by body weight-supported
treadmill training (BWSTT) in patients with short or long poststroke duration.
DESIGN: Single-blinded and randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Neurologic
physical therapy research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Hemiparesis patients (N=18)
whose motor-evoked potentials could be induced participated in this study.
Subjects in each hemiparesis postonset of short (<6 mo) or long (>12 mo) duration
group were randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group.
INTERVENTIONS: Subjects in the experimental groups participated in BWSTT for 4
weeks. Those in the control groups received the general exercise program. MAIN
OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were motor threshold and map size of the
abductor hallucis muscle in the ipsilesional hemisphere. The secondary outcome
was Fugl-Meyer Assessment. Outcome measures were blindly assessed before and
after completing the 4 weeks of training. RESULTS: The 4-week BWSTT resulted in a
decrease of motor threshold and an increase of map size in subjects with
hemiparesis of short duration, whereas only the expansion of the map size was
noted in subjects with hemiparesis of long duration. Improvement of motor control
occurred in subjects with hemiparesis of both short and long duration after
BWSTT. CONCLUSIONS: The BWSTT results in similar improvement in motor control but
different patterns of treatment-induced cortical reorganization in subjects with
different poststroke durations.
CI - Copyright 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS