Effect of coordination biofeedback on (re)learning preferred postural patterns in post-stroke patients

After stroke, ankle-hip coordination during stance is characterized by changes in the postural system dynamics, specifically the disappearance of the in-phase pattern and the reduced stability of the anti-phase pattern. This study was conducted to assess the success of a coordination visual biofeedback for the (re)learning of the two preferred patterns, and to explore the effect of this treatment on postural and functional abilities. Twenty four patients were randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups or to a control group. During one month, patients from experimental groups followed a training protocol on the two preferred postural patterns using the biofeedback device. These two groups improved their in-phase coordination after the (re)learning compared with control group, and showed a related improvement of the functional independence measure. Results suggest that (re)learning the in-phase pattern is possible and seems to improve independence in poststroke patients.