Effects of visual restriction and unstable base dual-task training on balance and concentration ability in persons with stroke

Effects of visual restriction and unstable base dual-task training on balance and concentration ability in persons with stroke

Objective: In the present study, the effects of visual restriction and unstable base dual-task training (VUDT), stable base dual-task training (SDT), and on stroke patients’ balance and concentration abilities were examined. Design: Two-group pretest-posttest design. Methods: Dual-task training was conducted for thirty persons with chronic stroke who were hospitalized or receiving physical therapy and were randomly assigned to either the VUDT group (n=15) or the SDT group (n=15). The subjects were divided into two groups of 15 participants each, the VUDT group and the SDT group. Dual-task training was administered for 30 minutes per session, three times a week for 8 weeks. The participants’ balance was measured via the center of pressure migration distances, functional reach test (FRT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and attention was measured using the trail-making test and the Stroop test. Results: In comparisons within each group, the two groups showed significant differences before and after the training (p<0.05). In the comparisons between the groups, the VUDT group showed significant improvements in center of pressure (COP), FRT, and BBS, and TMT compared to the SDT group (p<0.05). Conclusions: It would be more effective to conduct dual-task training as a rehabilitation training program under vision restriction and unstable supporting surface conditions than to conduct the test under unstable supporting plane conditions to improve balance and attention in chronic stroke patients.