Treadmill training and body weight support for walking after stroke.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Treadmill training (TT) with or without body weight support (BWS) is a common post-stroke rehabilitation strategy.
• A systematic review is needed to evaluate the efficacy, cost, and acceptability of TT with BWS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of TT and BWS, individually or combined, for improving walking ability post-stroke.
• Primary outcomes include walking speed, endurance, and independence.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of randomized controlled trials and quasi-randomized trials.
• Searched multiple databases including Cochrane Stroke Group, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PEDro.
• Data extracted and quality assessed by two independent reviewers; fixed-effect or random-effects models used for analysis.

Main Results:

• Fifteen trials with 622 participants were included.
• No statistically significant differences were found for walking speed or dependence between TT (with or without BWS) and other interventions.
• Treadmill training with body weight support showed a non-significant trend towards higher walking speeds in independent walkers.

Conclusions:

• Treadmill training with or without body weight support did not demonstrate statistically significant overall effectiveness for post-stroke walking.
• Individual studies suggest potential benefits of TT with BWS over TT alone, and TT plus task-oriented exercise over sham exercises.
• Further high-quality trials are required to confirm these preliminary findings.