Abstract
In order to examine the applicability of the Physiological Cost Index (PCI), PCI of 17 hemiplegic patients were measured for 5 consecutive days. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the PCI results; group A (0.22-0.60) and group B (1.39-5.02). Subjects of group A could walk independently except one subject, and those of group B used wheelchair except one subject, which suggested that PCI results corresponded to locomotion ability. Group A exhibited the walking velocity over 20 m/min, which was faster than group B. PCI results of group B tended to be unstable, and especially a subject of lower gait frequency showed varying results of heart rate and gait distance. Although it remains to be further examined whether PCI is applicable to the assessment of gait ability of hemiplegic patients, the present results suggest that PCI of hemiplegic patients may be a little higher than that of healthy controls.
