A pilot study of sensory retraining for the hemiparetic foot post-stroke

Sensory training post-stroke has been favourably reported in the literature for the hemiparetic upper limb. Little is known, however, of the usefulness of such techniques in the lower limb. This is despite the knowledge that accurate sensory feedback is vital for adaptability in motor control, particularly during balance and weight shift during standing. This pilot study used a single-case, repeated-measures design, with three subjects with hemisensory loss in their lower limb. Pre-intervention and post-intervention measures included light touch and proprioception, duration of single-limb stance, sway path length and duration of transition from double-to single-limb stance. The intervention involved 2 weeks of intensive sensory appreciation training, involving a hierarchy of sensory education, experiences and interpretation. Testing post-intervention demonstrated statistically significant changes in light touch appreciation for two subjects and in some postural control parameters in the third subject. Clinically favourable trends were shown in other measures. This initial study shows promising results for the incorporation of sensory training in the lower limb post-stroke, particularly if consideration is given to motivation, attention and functional application.