The effects of upper extremity task training with symmetric abdominal muscle contraction on trunk stability and balance in chronic stroke patients.
Je-Hyeok Lee, Jong-Duk Choi
PMID 28356639WHAT IT FOUND
Adding abdominal bracing to paretic upper limb task training improved trunk scores and balance more than task training alone in chronic stroke patients, but posture scores did not separate.
Key findings
01The Trunk Impairment Scale score rose from 13.0 to 14.4 in the bracing group, while the task-training-only group did not change significantly.
02Both groups improved balance, but the bracing group had significantly greater changes in centre-of-pressure and limit-of-stability than the task-training-only group.
03The Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke score did not differ significantly between groups after training.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The paper does not report how participants were allocated to groups or whether assessors and participants were blinded. Only 46 patients were included, and the intervention period was six weeks. All participants could already sit unassisted for five minutes or longer and scored at least 24 on a cognitive screen, so the results do not apply to patients who cannot sit or have greater cognitive impairment. The bracing group also received upper extremity task training, so the study tests the combination, not bracing alone. The paper does not state a primary outcome, and posture scores did not separate the groups.
Declared interests
The supplied text reports ethics approval and informed consent but no funding source or conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that abdominal bracing alone improves trunk stability or balance after stroke. The bracing group also received upper extremity task training, posture scores did not differ significantly between groups, and randomisation and blinding were not reported.