Implementation of a gait center training to improve walking ability and vital parameters in inpatient neurological rehabilitation- a cohort study.
Stephanie Reichl, Franz Weilbach, Jan Mehrholz
PMID 32131857WHAT IT FOUND
In this large cohort, patients who could not walk at admission gained the most walking ability.
However, vital capacity improved only in those who could not walk, and blood pressure did not change. Gait center training may help non-ambulatory patients regain mobility.
Key findings
01The percentage of patients able to walk independently or with minimal assistance (FAC ≥ 3) increased from 53% to 75% during rehabilitation.
02Patients who were unable to walk at the start of rehabilitation (FAC = 0) showed the largest improvement in walking ability after adjusting for the number of training sessions, gaining 1.8 FAC points.
03Vital capacity improved significantly only in patients with a baseline FAC of 0, while blood pressure showed no significant improvement during rehabilitation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This was a single-center observational study, so no causal relationship can be drawn between gait center training and improvements. The improvements resulted from a combination of standard rehabilitation therapies and gait center training, making it impossible to isolate the effect of the gait center alone. Vital capacity was measured with a pocket spirometer, which is less precise than other methods. The study did not measure activities of daily living, quality of life, or long-term outcomes at home.
Declared interests
The study was supported by non-U.S. government funding. No conflicts of interest were declared by the authors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not attribute the improvements solely to the gait center training. The study was observational, and patients also received standard physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. The effect of the gait center cannot be separated from the overall rehabilitation program.