Changes in preferred postural patterns following stroke during intentional ankle/hip coordination

Abstract

We compared the spatio-temporal postural organization between stroke patients and healthy controls in a bipedal standing task where participants had to intentionally produce two specific ankle/hip coordination patterns: in-phase and anti-phase. The pattern to reproduce was visually represented by a ankle–hip Lissajous figure, and a real-time biofeedback displayed the current coordination sur-imposed to the expected coordination. Contrary to the healthy participants who were successful at reproducing the two patterns, stroke patients were unable to produce the in-phase pattern. In addition, when the anti-phase pattern was required, a reduction of stability was observed for the stroke group. The impairment of postural capacities following stroke was thus accompanied by a disappearance of one of the two preferred patterns found in healthy participants, a result that have consequences for understanding the etiology of postural pattern formation and the elaboration of rehabilitation programs.