International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Open Access
ISSN: 2329-9096
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2329-9096
+44 1300 500008
Hyungkyu Kang
Accepted Abstracts: Int J Phys Med Rehabil
T his study was conducted in order to investigate the effects of treadmill training with changing optic flow speed on visual perception, balance, and gait in patients with stroke, and to compare the treadmill training with fixed optic flow speed. Subjects included 35 stroke patients who were randomly assigned to the treadmill with changing optic flow speed(TVOFS) group(n=12), treadmill with fixing optic flow speed(TFOFS) group(n=11) and the control group(n=12). Real-life virtual reality programs were applied in all groups. In Addition, Subjects in the TVOFS group underwent treadmill training by changing optic flow speed for a total of 20 sessions five times per week during a period of four weeks, whereas those in the TFOFS group and the control group received treadmill training by fixed optic flow speed and conventional physical therapy for the same duration. All subjects were evaluated using the motor-free visual perception test(MVPT), timed up and go test(TUG), Activities-specific Balance Confidence(ABC) Scale, and 10 m walk test, and 6 minute walk test before and after intervention. After training, the change values of the MVPT, TUG, ABC scale, 10 m walk test, and 6 minute walk test in the TVOFS group were significantly greater than those of the TVOFS and control groups. After training, the TFOFS group showed significant improvement in the change values of the MVPT, TUG, ABC scale, 10 m walk test, and 6 minute walk test compared to the control group. The findings demonstrate that treadmill training with variable optic flow speed improves visual perception, balance, and gait in patients following stroke. Therefore, treadmill training with variable optic flow speed may be used as a training method for conventional physical therapy for patients with impairments of visual perception, balance, and gait.
Hyungkyu Kang has completed his Ph.D. at the age of 31 years from Shamyook University. He has published a lot of papers in reputed journals.