Dynamic thigh muscle strength after auditory feedback training of body weight distribution in stroke patients

Abstract

Thirty-six stroke patients who were or who were not given auditory feedback to enhance weightbearing on the paretic extremity when rising and sitting down took part in the study. The patients in the auditory feedback group (n = 18) loaded their paretic lower limb with 49% of their body weight (BW) when rising and with 48% BW when sitting down. In the control group, these loads were 44 and 43%, respectively. The torque of maximal voluntary concentric and eccentric knee extensions and knee flexions was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer at constant velocities of 30, 60, 120 and 240 deg/s (0.52, 1.05, 2.10 and 4.20 rad/s). The mean ratios of concentric peak torque of the paretic and non-paretic lower limbs were 60% in the auditory feedback group and 52% in the control group during slow (30 deg/s) knee extensions. The corresponding values for knee flexion were 42 and 39%, respectively. The differences between groups were not statistically significant, nor were there any significant differences in knee e...