Assessment of dynamic balancing responses following perturbations during slow walking in relation to clinical outcome measures for high-functioning post-stroke subjects.

Background: Generating appropriate balancing reactions in response to unexpected loss of balance during walking is important to prevent falls. The purpose of this study was to assess dynamic balancing responses following pushes to the pelvis in groups of post-stroke and healthy subjects.

Methods: Forty-one post-stroke subjects and forty-three healthy subjects participated in the study. Dynamic balancing responses to perturbations triggered at heel strike of the left or right leg, directed in the forward, backward, inward and outward directions during slow treadmill walking were assessed. Responses of the healthy group provided reference values used to classify responses of the post-stroke group into two subgroups; one within the reference responses ("inside" subgroup) and the other that falls out ("outside" subgroup). A battery of selected clinical outcome measures (6-Minute Walk Test, 10-Meter Walk Test, Timed-Up-and-Go test, Four Square Step Test, Functional Gait Assessment, Functional Independence Measure and One-legged stance test) was additionally assessed in the post-stroke group.

Results: The "inside" subgroup of post-stroke subjects was able to appropriately modulate centre-of-pressure and ground-reaction-force both under the impaired and non-impaired leg in response to perturbations. The "outside" subgroup of post-stroke subjects showed limited modulation of centre-of-pressure and ground-reaction-force under the impaired leg; instead stepping strategy was used in which the non-impaired leg was placed such as to make a longer step (forward perturbation), to make a shorter step (backward perturbation) or to make a cross-step (outward perturbation). Consequently, peak centre-of-mass displacements following perturbations were significantly higher in the "outside" subgroup compared to the "inside" subgroup. Responses in both subgroups following inward perturbations did not differ. Majority of clinical outcome measures moderately correlated with the peak centre-of-mass displacements for forward perturbations and exhibited weak correlations for other perturbation directions.

Conclusions: Substantial number of post-stroke subjects, that were considered to be independent walkers, have reduced capabilities to execute appropriate balancing responses following perturbations commencing on the hemiparetic leg and may thus benefit from perturbation-based training. Timed-Up-and-Go and Functional Independence Measure tests may provide an indication on the abilities of each subject to counteract unexpected loss of balance. However, a reliable assessment should be done through perturbation-based measures.