Influence of Probe Reaction Time during Rhythmic Stabilization on Standing Stability of Patients with Post-Stroke Hemiplegia

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the probe reaction time (P-RT) during rhythmic stabilization (RS) on standing stability of patients with post-stroke hemiplegia. [Subjects] The subjects were 29 patients with post-stroke hemiplegia (males, mean age 56.2 ± 11.9 years), who had been receiving treatment at the Jilin Rehabilitation Medical Center in China. They were divided into two groups: the cerebral hemorrhage (CH) group and the cerebral infarction (CI) group. [Methods] We evaluated the simple reaction time (SRT), the P-RT during RS, the maximal resistance force of RS (Max. RF), the resistance force of RS during P-RT (RF during P-RT), and the timed up-and-go test (TUG). [Results] P-RT was significantly longer than SRT, and RF during P-RT was less than the Max. RF in both groups. P-RT of CH patients was significantly longer than that of CI patients. There were significant correlations between P-RT and SRT, P-RT and RF during P-RT, and Max. RF and RF during P-RT in both groups. [Conclusion] The results suggest that attention decreased more during the dual task in the CH group than in the CI group. Not only trunk muscle force but also attention maybe factors influencing the standing stability of patients with post-stroke hemiplegia.