Quantifying dosage of physical therapy using lower body kinematics: a longitudinal pilot study on early post-stroke individuals.

Only six individuals were analysed, although nine were recruited, and some did not complete the planned sessions. The study included only people who were able to start gait therapy early after stroke, so it does not address patients who cannot walk or who enter therapy later. Usual physical therapy varied by therapist, patient ability, and insurance coverage, and no treatment was assigned, so differences in recovery may reflect many factors. Because each session included several kinds of therapy together, this study cannot separate the contribution of any single task. The design was observational, so it cannot show that more joint motion causes faster gait; it only found associations. Time was associated with gait speed and explained 15.5% of the variation, which may reflect spontaneous recovery rather than therapy dosage. Gait speed was the main outcome, and clinical measures such as FIM, Berg balance scale, and 5x sit-to-stand were not collected every session. Sensors were worn only during therapy sessions, not during daily life after discharge, and wearable motion sensors may be less accurate than optical motion capture.

Funder named: Mission Connect. The supplied text does not say whether the funder designed, analysed, or wrote the study.

Do not conclude that adding more lower-body motion will improve gait recovery. This was an observational pilot in six people, so it found associations, not treatment effects; time alone explained 15.5% of the variation in gait speed.