Influence of visual feedback and rhythmic auditory cue on walking of chronic stroke patient induced by treadmill walking in real-time basis

Abstract

Background: Many patients who have suffered from a stroke show decreased walking ability, characterized by asymmetric gait. For such patients, the recovery of symmetry in walking is important.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of visual feedback with rhythmic auditory cue on treadmill gait in persons with chronic stroke.

Methods: Seventeen chronic subjects who have been diagnosed at least six months or before were recruited in G Hospital, located in Incheon. The subjects who were enrolled in this study were instructed to walk randomly on a treadmill: treadmill with visual feedback and rhythmic auditory cue (VF+RAC), treadmill with visual feedback (VF), general treadmill (Control; non-feedback). Three factors were observed and estimated: paretic step length, non-paretic step length, spatial asymmetry ratio at comfortable speed. Also, in VF and VF+RAC, calibration of feedback accuracy was measured.

Results: Results showed that paretic step length and spatial asymmetry ratio were significantly improved in VF+RAC compared to that of the VF and control (p < 0.05). Accuracies of paretic and non-paretic leg were significantly increased in VF+RAC than that of the VF (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: According to this result, it seems that application of VF+RAC in treadmill gait significantly improved gait of these patients. Also, we can conclude that VF+RAC in treadmill gait is thought to be useful in clinical settings where there are many chronic patients who are in need of improvement in their gait ability.

Keywords: Gait; rhythmic auditory cue; stroke; visual feedback.