An evaluation of two different exercise regimes during the first year following stroke : A randomised controlled trial.
Journal article, Peer reviewed
Postprint version. original article available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09593980802686938
View/ Open
Date
2009-02-01Metadata
Show full item recordCollections
Original version
Langhammer, B., Lindmark, B. & Stanghelle J. (2009). An evaluation of two different exercise regimes during the first year following stroke. A randomised controlled trial. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice, 25(2), 55-68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09593980802686938Abstract
Objective: To evaluate effects of two exercise approaches during the first year after stroke
on instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), gait performance, balance, grip strength and
muscle tone and to investigate explanatory factors for some IADL activities.
Design: A double-blind longitudinal randomised trial of first-time-ever stroke patients.
Setting: cute hospital and community.
Participants: Seventy-five patients: 35 in an intensive exercise group and 40 in a regular
exercise group.
Interventions: The intensive exercise group received intensive functional endurance,
strength and balance training. The regular exercise group was not recommended any specific
training.
Main Outcome Measures: Instrumental Activities for Daily Living according to
Fillenbaum, 6- Minute Walk Test, Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go, grip strength,
Modified Ashworth Scale, and pulse monitoring.
Results: One year post stroke both groups showed higher participation in all items of the
Instrumental Activities for Daily Living Test and improved in the results of 6-Minute Walk
Test, Berg Balance Scale, Timed-Up-and-Go and grip strength. At 3, 6 and 12 months followups
there were some significant differences in favour of the regular exercise group. A multiple
regression analysis revealed that scores of Berg Balance Scale were the strongest explanatory
factor for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living item 2 “get to places out of walking
distance” at both 3-month and 1-year follow-ups and that (R 2 = 0.63 / 0.67 and that 6-Minute
Walk Test was the strongest explanatory factor for item 7 “can you handle your own money” at the 1-year follow-up.
Conclusion: Both groups improved to similar degrees in IADL, gait, balance and grip
strength. The test occasions themselves were strong motivators for training, irrespective of group allocation. IADL was to a higher degree explained by the results of 6-Minute walk test
and Berg Balance Scale than Timed-Up-and-Go and grip strength.