The Role of Posturography in Assessing the Process of Rehabilitation in Poststroke Patients-A Case Study.

Stroke is one of the most common causes of death and disability both in Poland and around the world. Each year, 250 out of 100,000 people in Europe are diagnosed with a disruption of cerebral perfusion in the form of stroke. In Poland, approximately 65,000-70,000 people are affected each year, with the incidence steadily increasing. Stroke survivors suffer from impaired cognitive and motor functions. Moreover, they exhibit severe gait pattern abnormalities, which together with balance disorders, constitute the main factors increasing the risk of falls in this patient group. Therefore, postural stability and gait assessments in these patients should be an important part of every examination instead of being conducted only for the purposes of physical rehabilitation. Currently, the most common method of postural stability assessment both in the healthy and those affected with a disorder is posturography. The aim of the study was to evaluate selected posturographic parameters in poststroke patients before and after rehabilitation treatment.