Passive standing as an adjunct rehabilitation intervention after stroke: a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Early physical rehabilitation is crucial for stroke survivor recovery.
• Supported standing practice (SSP) is used for patients with central nervous system diseases who cannot stand independently.
• Evidence on SSP's effectiveness in recent stroke patients is limited and conflicting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if adding SSP via a standing frame to conventional physical therapy (CPT) improves motor function, autonomy, and mobility in recent stroke survivors.
• To compare the effects of two different durations of SSP (20 or 40 minutes) combined with CPT against CPT alone.

Main Methods:

• A randomized trial involving 75 severely disabled stroke survivors receiving CPT.
• Participants were assigned to either 20 minutes of SSP, 40 minutes of SSP, or CPT only (control group).
• Motor function, autonomy, and mobility were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and at a three-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• All participants completed the intervention as planned, with no adverse events reported for SSP.
• Improvements in motor function, autonomy, and mobility were observed from baseline across all groups.
• The degree of improvement was similar in all three groups, indicating no significant difference between SSP durations or CPT alone.

Conclusions:

• Supported standing practice, when added to conventional physical therapy, did not provide significant additional benefits for recent stroke survivors.
• The findings suggest that SSP, in the tested durations and context, is not superior to conventional physical therapy alone for improving outcomes in this population.