Effects of In-Bed Cycle Exercise in Patients With Acute Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Klas Sandberg, Marie Kleist, Magnus Wijkman and 1 others
PMID 33543108WHAT IT FOUND
Adding early in-bed cycling to usual stroke care did not improve walking distance, disability, or hospital stay compared to usual care alone.
The study was underpowered, so a benefit in milder stroke cases cannot be ruled out.
Key findings
01Early in-bed cycling did not significantly improve walking distance at 3 months compared to usual care.
02There were no significant differences between groups in disability levels, daily living activity, or length of hospital stay.
03The intervention was feasible and safe, with no deaths reported during the study or follow-up.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was underpowered due to early recruitment cessation, meaning it may have missed a true benefit. The assessment was not blinded, which could introduce bias. The 3-week intervention period may have been too short to detect differences. Baseline groups were imbalanced, with no hemorrhagic strokes in the intervention group and 6 in the control group.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the non-significant trend in the mild stroke subgroup as proof that in-bed cycling works for these patients. The study was underpowered, and the authors state these subgroup findings are only hypothesis-generating.