Clinical application of circuit training for subacute stroke patients: a preliminary study

[Purpose] To investigate how task-oriented circuit training for the recovery motor control of the lower-extremity, balance and walking endurance could be clinically applied to subacute stroke inpatient group therapy. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty subacute stroke patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=10) or the control group (n=10). The intervention consisted of a structured, progressive, inpatient circuit training program focused on mobility and gait training as well as physical fitness training that was performed for 90 minutes, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The control group received individual physiotherapy of neurodevelopmental treatment for 60 minutes, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Outcome measures were lower-extremity motor control, balance, gait endurance and activities of daily living before and after 4 weeks. [Results] There were no significant differences at baseline between the two groups. After 4 weeks, both groups showed significant improvements in all outcome measures, but there were no significant differences between the two groups during the invention period. [Conclusion] In spite of the small sample size, these findings suggest that task-oriented circuit training might be used as a cost-effective and alternative method of individual physiotherapy for the motor recovery of lower-extremity, balance and walking endurance of subacute stroke patients.