Effects of visual cue and cognitive motor tasks on standing postural control following a chronic stroke.
Sungkwang Ju, Won-Gyu Yoo, Jae-Seop Oh and 1 others
PMID 29706715WHAT IT FOUND
After chronic stroke, a mirror line cue reduced paretic-side standing sway and a tray holding a cup of water reduced sway when no cue was used.
The dual task did not improve sway more than the cue alone.
Key findings
01A mirror line visual cue lowered paretic-side COP total distance and sway velocity compared with no visual cue.
02Without a visual cue, the tray holding a cup of water lowered COP total distance and sway velocity compared with the non-cognitive task.
03With the visual cue present, adding the cognitive motor task did not significantly lower COP total distance or sway velocity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 20 participants were studied, and the authors list the small sample size as a limitation. Participants had to have no musculoskeletal disorders or visual problems, so the findings may not apply to stroke patients who have those conditions. The sample had mean MMSE-K scores of 27.2 ± 1.9 points, so it may not represent stroke patients with lower cognitive scores. The study measured short static standing trials on force plates, not walking, falls, or daily balance tasks. The study measured brief standing trials, not repeated training or longer-term effects.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that combining the mirror cue and tray task is better for balance. The dual task did not significantly reduce sway more than the mirror cue alone, and the study measured standing sway in 20 people, not walking or falls.