Comparison of the effects of action observation training of community ambulation with different observational views on walking function in patients with chronic stroke: single-subject experimental study

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the effects of the action-observation training (AOT) of community ambulation with different observational views (first-person versus third-person views) on walking function in patients with chronic stroke. Design A single-subject alternating design. Methods Three ambulatory patients with chronic stroke participated in this study. The AOT of community ambulation, in the first- and third-person views, was alternately applied in the intervention phase. Outcome measures included walking speed (10-m walking test) and peak knee flexion angle (PKFA) during walking. Results When the AOT was performed in the first-person view, walking speeds increased by 0.04, 0.09 and 0.09 m/s, and the PKFA increased by 11.88, 14.67 and 25.29°, for subjects 1, 2 and 3, respectively. After the AOT was performed in the third-person view, the 10MWT speeds increased by 0.04, 0.08 and 0.11 m/s, and PKFAs increased by 13.46, 16.21 and 23.27° for subjects 1, 2 and 3, respectively. However, in the intervention phase, for all the subjects, there were no significant differences in walking speed and the PKFA between the first- and third-person views (p > .05). Conclusions These findings indicate that the AOT of community ambulation may help in clinically improving walking function in patients with chronic stroke, regardless of observational views in the AOT. However, larger studies, with a robust design, are needed to make a definitive judgment on the usefulness of this treatment.