The Application of Biological Feedback in the Rehabilitation of Patients after Ischemic Stroke

Balance disorders are the main concern for patients after an ischemic stroke. They are caused by an abnormal force on the affected side or paresis, which causes uneven loading and visuospatial disorders. Minimizing the effects of stroke is possible through properly conducted rehabilitation. One of the known ways to achieve this objective is biological feedback. The lack of proper muscle tone on one side of the body is manifested by the uneven pressure of the lower extremities on the ground. The study and control groups were composed of two equal groups of 92 people each, in which the same set of kinesiotherapeutic exercises were applied. Patients in the study group, in addition to standard medical procedures, exercised five days a week on a Balance Trainer for four weeks. The examination and training with the device were recorded on the first day of rehabilitation, as well as after two and four weeks of training. The assessment was performed using the following functional tests and scales: Brunnström, Rankin, Barthel, Ashworth, and VAS. Patients in the control group started exercising on the Balance Trainer two weeks after the first day of rehabilitation using traditional methods. The study results reveal statistically significant reductions in the time the body's center of gravity (COG) spent in the tacks, outside the tracks and in the COG distance, lower COG excursions in all directions. Post-stroke patients that received biofeedback training presented significantly better results than patients that did not receive such training.