Article ID: 12018
Objective: This study aimed to describe the effects of body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) on two stroke patients with cerebellar ataxia.
Methods: Two inpatients post cerebellar infarction (a female, about 50 years old; and a male, about 60 years old) participated in this study. This study was conducted in an A-B-A single-subject research design. The baseline phase (A) and intervention phase (B) lasted for 10 days. The patients received physical therapy focusing on limb and trunk coordination, standing balance, and overground walking training in phase A. In phase B, these patients underwent BWSTT in conjunction with the therapies performed in phase A. Outcome measures included maximum walking speed, step length, cadence, the Timed Up and Go test, the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Functional Assessment for Control of Trunk, and the Functional Ambulation Category.
Results: In both cases, maximum walking speed was significantly improved in the intervention phase (B) compared to the baseline phase (A). On the other hand, there was no difference in the SARA (gait, stance, and heel-shin slide) and BBS between phases A and B.
Conclusions: BWSTT can improve ambulatory function in stroke patients with cerebellar ataxia.
