Effect of exercise-walking dual-task training on walking function in patients with stroke

Abstract:

Objective：To explore the effect of exercise-walking dual-task training on walking function in patients with stroke. Methods：A total of 56 hemiplegic patients with stroke were randomized into control group（n=27） and experimental group（n=29）. The control group was given routine walking training，and the experimental group was given exercise-walking dual-task training as the same time and frequency as the control group. The integrated electromyography（IEMG） of maximal isometric contraction of rectus femoris，biceps femoris，tibialis anterior muscle and gastrocnemius muscle，and the co-contraction rate（CR） of knee flexion，knee extension，ankle dorsiflexion and ankle plantarflexion were recorded before intervention and after 4 weeks of intervention. The single-task walking speed，dual-task walking speed and dual-task walking speed cost（DTC） during 10 m walking test were calculated. Results：A total of 26 cases in the control group and 27 cases in the experimental group completed the study. After 4 weeks of intervention，the IEMG，CR and walking speed of patients in both groups were significantly improved as compared with those before intervention（P<0.01）. During knee extension and ankle dorsiflexion，the IEMG of rectus femoris and tibialis anterior muscle in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group（P<0.05），while CR was lower than that in the control group（P<0.05）. The walking speed of the experimental group under dual-task was higher than that of the control group（P<0.001），and the DTC was lower than that of the control group（P<0.001）. Conclusion：Exercise-walking dual-task training can improve the walking function of patients，and compared with routine walking training，it’s more helpful to the coordination between agonistic muscle and antagonistic muscle of hemiplegic lower limbs.