Fatigue and pain: relationships with physical performance and patient beliefs after stroke.

Background: Fatigue and pain are common after stroke, potentially impacting stroke recovery.

Objective: This study examines the frequency and impact of fatigue and pain in people with chronic stroke.

Method: Seventy-seven people with chronic stroke completed a one-time assessment consisting of a battery of self-report and performance tools to describe and quantify mobility issues post stroke.

Balance is associated with quality of life in chronic stroke.

Objective: To investigate the association between balance and quality of life (QOL) in chronic stroke survivors by (1) examining the associations between balance and QOL scores; (2) identifying the frequency of balance impairment and poststroke falls; and (3) determining the differences in QOL scores between persons with and those without balance impairment.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study. People who had a stroke more than 6 months earlier from 3 Midwest states were included in the study if they met the following criteria: were referred to occupational or physical therapy for poststroke physical deficits; had self-reported stroke-related physical deficits; completed all stroke-related rehabilitation; had residual functional disability; had a score of ≥4 out of 6 on the short 6-item Mini-Mental State Examination; and were between 50 and 85 years old (n = 59).

Examination of sustained gait speed during extended walking in individuals with chronic stroke.

Objectives: To determine if individuals with chronic stroke were able to sustain their peak gait speed during the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and to explore this sustainability across community ambulation potential subgroups.

Design: Prospective cross-sectional study.

Setting: University-based research laboratory, hospitals, and stroke support groups.

Is walking faster or walking farther more important to persons with chronic stroke?

Purpose: The purposes of this mixed-methods study were to (1) investigate whether walking faster or walking farther was more important for getting "out and about" to persons with chronic stroke and (2) explore explanations for walking preferences.

Method: A convenience sample of 77 adults with chronic stroke completed questionnaires and walking outcomes in one visit. Participants were asked whether walking faster or farther was more important to them for getting "out and about", and differences between response groups (faster vs.

Poststroke balance improves with yoga: a pilot study.

Background And Purpose: Balance impairment is common after stroke; modified yoga may be able to improve balance and other important poststroke variables. Scientific-evidence is needed to support such treatment interventions. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a yoga-based rehabilitation intervention on balance, balance self-efficacy, fear of falling (FoF), and quality of life after stroke.

Balance and balance self-efficacy are associated with activity and participation after stroke: a cross-sectional study in people with chronic stroke.

Objectives: To (1) examine the relationships between multiple poststroke mobility variables (gait speed, walking capacity, balance, balance self-efficacy, and falls self-efficacy) and activity and participation; and (2) determine which poststroke mobility variables are independently associated with activity and participation.

Design: This is the primary analysis of a prospective cross-sectional study completed to understand the impact of mobility on activity and participation in people with chronic stroke.

Setting: University-based research laboratory, hospitals, and stroke support groups.

Full-text publication of abstract-presented work in physical therapy: do therapists publish what they preach?

Background And Objective: Professional meetings, such as the American Physical Therapy Association's (APTA's) Combined Sections Meeting (CSM), provide forums for sharing information relevant to physical therapy. An indicator of whether therapists fully disseminate their work is the number of full-text peer-reviewed publications that result. The purposes of this study were: (1) to determine the full-text publication rate of work presented in abstract form at CSM and (2) to investigate factors influencing this rate.