The Effects of Dual-Task Exergaming versus Conventional Balance Training on Motor and Cognitive Function in Chronic Stroke: A Protocol for a Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Stroke survivors often have persistent motor and cognitive deficits that are challenging to address usingtraditional rehabilitation, which typically separates physical training from cognitive training. Dual-task exergaming is an integrated and engaging approach to simultaneously target both domains. This paper details the protocol for a randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of a technology-based dual-task exergaming program with the effects of conventional balance training on motor and cognitive functions in individuals with chronic stroke. Methods: The study will be a prospective, single-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. Twenty-eight individuals with chronic stroke (≥6 months post-onset) will be recruited and they will be randomly assigned to an experimental group receiving dual-task exergaming or a control group receiving intensity-matched conventional balance training. Both interventions will be delivered in 30-minute sessions, five times per week for four weeks. The primary outcome is the Functional Gait Assessment score. Secondary outcomes include the Short Physical Performance Battery score, the Trail Making Test score, and the Stroop Test score, which will be measured at baseline and post-intervention by a blinded assessor. Ethics & Dissemination: This protocol has been approved by the Sahmyook University Institutional Review Board (No. 2023-10-007-001), and the trial has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06806384). All participants will providewritten informed consent prior to enrollment. The findings of this trial will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentations at relevant scientific conferences, regardless of the outcomes, to inform future clinical practice and research.