• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2004

The purposes of this study were to find correlations among Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale, gait speed, and Timed Up & Go test (TUG) and to predict gait ability from subscales of Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale. The study population consisted of 30 stroke patients referred to the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in the Bundang Jaesang General Hospital. All subjects were ambulatory with or without an assistive device. All participants were assessed on Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale and gait speed (m/s), TUG (s). The data were analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson product moment correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression. The results revealed that all items of Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale, except passive joint range of motion were significantly correlated with gait speed and TUG. In particular, sensation score, lower extremity motor and coordination score have a significant correlation with gait speed and TUG (p<.05). The sensation score and lower extremity motor score were important factors in comfortable gait and maximal gait speed. Their power of explanation regarding comfortable gait and maximal gait speed were 63.0% and 65.0%, respectively. The sensation score and lower extremity coordination score were important factors in TUG. Their power of explanation regarding TUG was 55.0%. These results showed that Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale is significantly correlated with gait speed and TUG. Therefore Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale is an appropriate assessment tool to predict gait ability of patients with stroke. Further study about gait speed and TUG by change of Fugl-Meyer Assessment score is needed using a longitudinal study design.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2006

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of electromechanical gait trainer therapy in stroke patients. The gait trainer was designed to provide nonambulatory subjects the repetitive practice of a gait-like movement without overstraining therapist. To simulate normal gait, discrete stance and swing phase, lasting 60% and 40% of the gait cycle respectively, and the control of the movement of the centre of mass were required. Methods : This preliminary study investigated during 8 weeks therapy on the gait trainer could improve gait ability in 5 subacute and chronic hemiparetic stroke patients. Gait ability(time up & go [TUG], comfortable and maximal gait speed and functional ambulation category[FAC]), functional movement of lower extremity(Fugl-Meyer Assessment [FMA] and composite spasticity score [CSS]) and sensory of lower extremity(Fugl-Meyer Assessment sensory [FMA-s])were the measured. Results : TUG, comfortable and maximal gait speed and FMA were improved significantly. Although FAC, FMA-s and CSS were improved, there were not statistically significant. Conclusion : Therefore, the gait trainer enabled affected patients the repetitive practice of a gait-like movement, which is important for the restoration of walking ability.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.64-71
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• 2007

The purposes of this study were to determine correlations between the Berg Balance Test (BBS), Timed -UP & Go Test, Fugl Meyer-L/E, Balance, Sensory (FM-L/E, B, S), Motor Assessment Scale-Gait (MAS-G), Comfortable maximal Gait Speed (C MGS), and the Modified Barthel Index (MBI). The subjects were 40 stroke patients of the Korea National Rehabilitation Center in Seoul. Main outcome measures were Balance control (BBS, FM-B), Gait (TUG, C MGS, MAS-G), ADL (MBI) and Motor Function of Lower Extremities (FM-L/E, S). The data were analyzed using Pearson product correlation. FM scales between other clinical and instrumental indexes and multiple stepwise regression analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors for Balance, Gait and ADL Motor Function of Lower Extremity inclinations. The results of this study were as follows: The BBS, FM-L/E, balance, sensory and MBI showed positive correlation relations, but TUG and C MGS showed negative correlations. The sensory factor of the FM-scale showed the strongest variance in predicting BBS. However the FM-balance showed the strongest variance in predicting TUG, MAS-G and C MGS. The use of both quantitative and qualitative scales was shown to be a good measuring instrument for the classification of the general clinical performance of the patients.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2008

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of gait training with the use of an electromechanical gait trainer with functional electrical stimulation (FES) for patients that had undergone subacute stroke. Methods: The study subjects included nine subacute stroke patients of the Korea National Rehabilitation Center in Seoul, Korea. Outcome was measured using the timed Up and Go test, Fugl-Meyer-L/E assesment, with determination of the comfortable maximal gait speed, composite spasticity score, functional ambulatory category and Berg balance scale. All measured scores were recorded before, during, and after rehabilitation and at an eight-week follow-up. Results: Patients who received electromechanical-assisted gait training in combination with FES after subacute stroke were more likely to achieve independent walking, functional activities, balance and gait speed. Conclusion: The outcome of our gait-training program demonstrates that it may be practical to integrate FES into electromechanical gait training without any adverse effects. However, further randomized controlled studies are needed to evaluate if patient outcome after combined training is superior to outcome after the use of electromechanical gait trainer treatment alone or conventional gait training alone.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.411-421
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• 2012

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of balance rehabilitation training with the visual cue deprivation on gait function in stroke patients in comparison with balance training without the visual cue deprivation. METHODS: Twenty two stroke patients participated in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the two balance training program with and without the visual cue deprivation. Balance training session for each group lasted 50 minutes, 3 times a week for a total of 6 weeks. Gait function was measured with the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), the self-selective comfortable gait speed (CGS), the maximal gait speed (MGS), and the Gait Analysis System. Temporal and spatial gait parameters of each evaluation were measured before and after the balance training program respectively. RESULTS: After the program, the visual cue deprivation group improved significantly in the FGA, the CGS, the gait velocity, the step time, the step length, the stride length, and the Functional Ambulation Performance (FAP) in comparison with the balance training group with the visual cue (p<.05). CONCLUSION: The gait function of the participants with the visual cue deprivation showed more improvement after the balance training program compared to the patients group without the visual cue deprivation, Therefore, the balance training program with the visual cue deprivation may be useful for rehabilitation of patients with chronic stroke.