Repetitive locomotor training and physiotherapy improve walking and basic activities of daily living after stroke: a single-blind, randomized multicentre trial (DEutsche GAngtrainerStudie, DEGAS)

2007 
Objective: To evaluate the effect of repetitive locomotor training on an electromechanical gait trainer plus physiotherapy in subacute stroke patients.Design: Randomized controlled trial.Setting: Four German neurological rehabilitation centres. Subjects: One hundred and fifty-five non-ambulatory patients (first-time stroke <60 days).Intervention: Group A received 20 min locomotor training and 25 min physiotherapy; group B had 45 min physiotherapy every week day for four weeks.Main outcome measures: Primary variables were gait ability (Functional Ambulation Category, 0-5) and the Barthel Index (0-100), blindly assessed at study onset, end, and six months later for follow-up. Responders to the therapy had to become ambulatory (Functional Ambulation Category 4 or 5) or reach a Barthel Index of ≥ 75. Secondary variables were walking velocity, endurance, mobility and leg power.Results: The intention-to-treat analysis revealed that significantly greater number of patients in group A could walk independently: 41...
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