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The Impact of Motor Task Conditions on Goal-Directed Arm Reaching Kinematics and Trunk Compensation in Chronic Stroke Survivors
Published on: May 2, 2021
Obstacle crossing performance does not differ between the first and subsequent attempts in people with stroke.
Catherine M Said1, Mary Galea, Noel Lythgo
1Rehabilitation Sciences Research Centre, University of Melbourne, c/o Royal Talbot Hospital, Kew, Victoria, Australia. cathy.said@austin.org.au
Gait & Posture
|August 7, 2009
Summary
For individuals recovering from stroke, the first obstacle crossing attempt is as representative of gait performance as subsequent trials. This finding simplifies data collection for gait analysis in stroke rehabilitation research.
Area of Science:
- Neurorehabilitation
- Biomechanics
- Gait Analysis
Background:
- Stroke survivors often exhibit impaired obstacle crossing ability.
- Assessing gait performance requires reliable and repeatable measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if obstacle crossing performance varies between the first and subsequent attempts in individuals with stroke.
- To evaluate the representativeness of single-trial gait data for stroke rehabilitation research.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-two individuals with stroke performed eight trials of obstacle crossing (4 cm height).
- Spatiotemporal gait parameters were measured using a 3D motion analysis system.
- Repeated measures MANOVA was used to analyze differences across the first three trials, considering limb dominance.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant differences were found in spatiotemporal gait data between the first, second, and third obstacle crossing trials, regardless of the leading limb (p=.317 for affected, p=.801 for unaffected).
- Intraclass correlations indicated moderate to strong reliability for most spatiotemporal measures across trials (.612-.952), with trail step time as a minor exception (.480).
Conclusions:
- Obstacle crossing performance in people recovering from stroke is consistent from the first trial onwards.
- A single trial of obstacle crossing can be considered representative of a patient's overall performance, streamlining data collection in clinical and research settings.
