Powered wheelchair skills training for persons with stroke: a randomized controlled trial.

Am J Phys Med Rehabil

From the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ADM, RLK), Department of Medicine (KT), Research Methods Unit (KT), and Department of Psychiatry (GE), Dalhousie University; and Department of Occupational Therapy, Capital District Health Authority (CS), Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Published: December 2014

Objective: The aims of this study were to test the hypothesis that people with stroke who receive formal powered wheelchair skills training improve their wheelchair skills to a significantly greater extent than participants in a control group who do not and to explore the influence of spatial neglect.

Design: Seventeen participants with stroke (including nine with spatial neglect) were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 9) or control (n = 8) groups. Those in the intervention group received up to five 30-min training sessions based on the Wheelchair Skills Training Program 4.1. The powered Wheelchair Skills Test version 4.1 was administered at baseline (T1) and after training (T2).

Results: A rank order analysis of covariance on the T2 Wheelchair Skills Test score, having adjusted for the T1 score, showed a significant effect caused by group (P = 0.0001). A secondary analysis showed no significant effect caused by spatial neglect (P = 0.923).

Conclusions: People with stroke who receive formal powered wheelchair skills training improve their powered wheelchair skills to a significantly greater extent (30%) than participants who do not (0%). The extent of change was not affected by the presence of spatial neglect. These findings have significance for the wheelchair provision process and the rehabilitation of people with stroke.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PHM.0000000000000229DOI Listing

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