ABSTRACT
AIM: This study aims to analyze the effects of rhythm of music therapy on gait in patients with ischemic stroke, and explore the value of music therapy in walking training in stroke. METHODS: The present study is a prospective clinical study. Sixty patients with ischemic stroke, who were admitted to our hospital from October 2017 to December 2018, were enrolled. These patients were divided into two groups, according to the method of the random number table, with thirty patients in each group: control group and study group. Patients in the control group received conventional drug therapy, rehabilitation training and walking training, while the patients in the study group were given music therapy on the basis of the above mentioned therapies for four weeks, during which Sunday was regarded as a rest day, and the music therapy was suspended. The main outcome measures included indexes in evaluating the walking ability of patients in these two groups. At each time point, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and stroke rehabilitation treatment satisfaction questionnaire were used. RESULTS: The results revealed that the stride length, cadence and maximum velocity were higher in patients in the study group, when compared to patients in the control group, at the second week and end of the therapy, and the difference in step length between the affected side and healthy side was significantly lower in the study group than in the control group. These differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). In the second week of therapy and at the end of therapy, the FMA and BBS scores were higher in the study group than in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The total satisfaction rate was higher in the study group than in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Under the stimulation of music rhythm, applying music therapy to patients with ischemic stroke can improve their gait, walking ability, lower limb motor function, balance ability and treatment satisfaction.
Subject(s)
Gait , Ischemic Stroke/therapy , Music Therapy , Music , Periodicity , Stroke Rehabilitation , Aged , Case-Control Studies , Female , Humans , Ischemic Stroke/diagnosis , Ischemic Stroke/physiopathology , Male , Middle Aged , Motor Activity , Patient Satisfaction , Postural Balance , Prospective Studies , Random Allocation , Recovery of Function , Time Factors , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND Contracture is related to modulation of passive stiffness in muscle and tendon after spinal cord injury (SCI). Current clinical assessments of stiffness in muscles and tendons are subjective in patients with spinal cord injury. We proposed a quantitative method to evaluate stiffness of the gastrocnemius and Achilles tendon (AT) with a portable device, the MyotonPRO. The purpose of this study was to investigate the intraoperator and interoperator reliability of the MyotonPRO when used in patients after spinal cord injury. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fourteen patients with SCI participated in this study. Gastrocnemius stiffness and AT stiffness were measured with the MyotonPRO. RESULTS In participants with SCI, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values for intraoperator and interoperator reliability of stiffness measurements in the gastrocnemius and AT were excellent (all ICC >0.87), with relatively low values for standard error measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that use of the MyotonPRO is feasible for evaluating stiffness of the gastrocnemius and AT in the lower limbs of patients with spinal cord injury.