Stroke Diagnosis e35

Increased asymmetry was also noted by small to medium effect sizes that

were negative for swing time symmetry, and stance time symmetry.

Conclusions: Therapeutic-yoga may improve walking distance in people

with chronic stroke. However, step parameter symmetry does not appear to

be improved with therapeutic-yoga in people with chronic stroke. Further

investigation is needed to improve understanding of the effect of thera-

peutic-yoga on walking in people with stroke and to improve under-

standing of the impact, progression, and remediation of walking

asymmetry after stroke.

Key Words: Stroke, Yoga, Walking

Disclosure: Kristine Miller has nothing to disclose.

Poster 68

Behavioral and Physiological Effects of Unilateral and BilateralReaching Practice in Individuals with Severe Stroke

Sambit Mohapatra (MedSTAR Health Research Institute), Evan Chan,Erika Y. Breceda Tinoco, Leonardo Cohen, Alexander Dromerick,Michelle Harris-Love

Objective: To investigate behavioral and physiological effects of unilateral

and bilateral reaching practice in individuals with chronic stroke.

Design: Repeated measures, crossover design, in which reaching perfor-

mance and cortical physiology were measured before and after (immedi-

ately, 24 hours and 30 days) a session of unilateral or bilateral reaching

practice with trunk restraint.

Setting: Hospital-based research lab

Participants: Individuals with chronic stroke (n Z 10) and severe

arm impairment (UE Fugl-Meyer Z 29.0 � 7.9; maximum possible

score Z 66).

Interventions: In separate sessions (at least 30 days apart), participants

performed unilateral (paretic arm only) and bilateral reaching practice

(order counterbalanced; 200 repetitions each).

Main Outcome Measure(s): The primary outcome measure was paretic

arm reaching response time (RT). In addition, transcranial magnetic stim-

ulation was used to measure cortical excitability before and after practice.

Results: There was a significant main effect of Test Session (pZ 0.01) but

no Interaction, indicating that the amount of RT improvement did not differ

between the 2 types of practice. For both types of practice, RT was faster

24 hours after practice than immediately after. Neurophysiological

responses to practice varied widely among participants. Individual

response patterns will be described.

Conclusions: A single session of both unilateral and bilateral reaching

practice can result in improved paretic arm reaching performance. Further

study is needed to determine the behavioral and physiological effects of

longer-term practice.

Key Words: Reaching, stroke, transcranial magnetic stimulation, practice.

Disclosure: Sambit Mohapatra has nothing to disclose.

Poster 69

Effects of a Training Program Based on the ProprioceptiveNeuromuscular Facilitation Method on Post-stroke Motor Recovery

Tatiana Souza Ribeiro (University Federal of Rio Grande do Norte),Wagner Henrique Souza Silva, Vescia Vieira Alencar Caldas,Diana Lidice Araujo Silva, Fabrıcia Azevedo Costa Cavalcanti,Raquel Rodrigues Lindquist

Objective: This pilot study sought to analyze the effects of a training

program based on the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)

method on motor recovery of individuals with chronic post-stroke

hemiparesis.

Design: Quasi-experimental study (pre-post clinical trial).

www.archives-pmr.org

Setting: Laboratory for Human Movement Analyses of the Federal

University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN).

Participants: 11 individuals (6 men and 5 women) with chronic hemi-

paresis (mean lesion time of 19.64 � 9.81 months) after unilateral and

non-recurrent stroke, able to walk 10 meters without assistance or assis-

tive devices.

Interventions: Participants underwent twelve training based on the PNF

method, including the following activities: waist dissociation in lateral

decubitus; sitting and rising; transfer of body weight in both the ante-

roposterior and and latero-lateral direction in the standing position; and

frontal and lateral gait.

Main Outcome Measure(s): All subjects were evaluated for motor func-

tion, using the Stroke Rehabilitation Assessment of Movement (STREAM)

instrument; functionality, by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM);

and gait kinematics (using the Qualisys Motion Capture System), at

baseline and post-training.

Results: Significant changes in FIM (from 68.40 � 8.81 to 70.30 � 8.72;

PZ.030) and STREAM scores (from 45.20 � 11.01 to 51.60 � 12.0;

P <.001) were observed. The remaining variables exhibited no significant

alterations.

Conclusions: Data showed significant changes in motor function and

functionality after training, suggesting that this program can be useful in

rehabilitating chronic stroke survivors.

Key Words: stroke, rehabilitation, function recovery, gait.

Disclosure: Raquel Lindquist has nothing to disclose.

Poster 70

The Brief Kinesthesia Test: A potentially Useful SensorimotorScreening Tool for Stroke

Alexandra Borstad (The Ohio State University), Deborah S. Larsen

Objective: To compare Brief Kinesthesia Test scores from a heterogeneous

group of person’s with stroke with a control group and to examine rela-

tionships between BKT and other valid upper extremity measures.

Design: Criterion standard.

Setting: Academic Research Center.

Participants: A convenience sample of community dwelling person’s with

stroke (nZ12) was recruited for a one-time evaluation of upper extremity

(UE) sensorimotor function. Stroke chronicity averaged 24 months (range

4-94 months). Criteria were a single clinical stroke diagnosed greater than

3 months ago, and 310 degrees active finger extension in the involved hand.

Participants were excluded if they had cognitive or language impairment

that precluded following test directions. Control participants (nZ12) were

matched within 3 years of age, and for gender, and handedness to stroke

participants.

Interventions: Not applicable.Main Outcome Measure(s): The Brief Kinesthesia Test (BKT), Wolf

Motor Function Test (Wolf), Motor Activity Log (MAL), and the Box and

Blocks Test (BBT).

Results: Post-stroke participants performed significantly poorer than

control participants on the BKT (tZ4.24; p<0.001). Average deviation

(mean, SD) was 14.2(3.5) cm and 9.1(2.0) cm, respectively. Impaired UE

BKT was strongly correlated with the MAL-how much (rZ0.84,

pZ0.001), the MAL-how well (rZ0.76, pZ0.007), Wolf (rZ0.80,

pZ0.005) and the BBT (rZ0.77, pZ0.006).

Conclusions: The BKT is sensitive to kinesthetic differences between

person’s with stroke and matched controls. Strong relationships exist

between valid UE motor function measures and the BKT.

Key Words: Kinesthesia, motor control, stroke, upper extremity,

measurement, clinical

Disclosure: Alexandra Borstad has nothing to disclose.