Kinect-based rapid movement training to improve balance recovery for stroke fall prevention: a randomized controlled trial.
Melisa Junata, Kenneth Chik-Chi Cheng, Hok Sum Man and 3 others
PMID 34635141WHAT IT FOUND
Kinect-based rapid movement training improved balance scores in chronic stroke survivors, matching the gains seen with conventional physiotherapy.
It did not, however, make participants faster at reacting to a simulated fall compared to standard care.
Key findings
01Both Kinect-based rapid movement training and conventional balance training significantly improved Berg Balance Scale scores, with no significant difference between the two groups.
02Neither training program significantly improved reaction time or movement completion time during a simulated forward fall.
03Participants in the rapid movement training group showed significant improvements in the Timed-Up-and-Go test and motor function scores, whereas the conventional training group only improved on the Berg Balance Scale.
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
The sample size was small (30 participants). Participants were high-functioning chronic stroke survivors able to stand independently, so results may not apply to acute or lower-functioning patients. The simulated fall test only assessed forward perturbations, which may not reflect reactions to falls in other directions. The 'lean-and-release' test may have allowed participants to anticipate the perturbation despite random delays.
Declared interests
Funded by the Health and Medical Research Fund. No specific conflicts of interest were declared by the authors in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this technology improves reactive balance recovery. Although clinical balance scores improved, the study found no significant change in reaction time or movement completion time during the simulated fall test compared to conventional therapy.