Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation and Gait Training in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study

Rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) has been well researched with stroke survivors and individuals who have Parkinson's disease, but little research exists on RAS with people who have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI). This pilot study aimed to (1) assess the feasibility of the study design and (2) explore potential benefits. This single-arm clinical trial included 10 participants who had a 2-week control period between baseline and pretreatment. Participants had RAS daily for a 2-week treatment period and immediately completed post-treatment assessments. Participants then had a 1-week control period and completed follow-up assessment. The starting cadence was evaluated each day of the intervention period due to the variation in daily functioning in this population. All 10 participants were 1-20 years post-TBI with notable deviations in spatial-temporal aspects of gait including decreased velocity, step symmetry, and cadence. All participants had a high risk of falling as defined by achieving less than 22 on the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA). The outcome measures included the 10-m walk test, spatial and temporal gait parameters, FGA, and Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale. There were no adverse events during the study and gait parameters improved. After the intervention, half of the participants achieved a score of more than 22 on the FGA, indicating that they were no longer at high risk of experiencing falls.