Movement therapy to help regain leg movement following stroke

Institution:
School of Psychology, University of Birmingham
Principal Investigator:
Professor Alan Wing
Region: West Midlands
Grant value: £105,725 over 24 months.
Start date: January 2005
Status: complete

Having a stroke can cause problems with movement of the arms and legs, leaving people immobile and prone to falls and pressure sores. This can lead to people feeling isolated from society, as it may become more difficult for them to participate in their usual activities. Therefore, regaining movement is an essential part of the recovery process from stroke, for both patients and their families.

Supported guided movement training of both sides of the body has been shown to improve functional ability in the arms, however, this technique has not been investigated in the leg. The current study will include a number of investigations which will measure the effects of audible prompts, and changing the task from moving the legs together to moving them alternately in opposite directions, on the function of the legs. It is hoped that this will improve the ability to move the leg, as it has done in the past with the arm. If this therapy is proved to be effective, patients and families will benefit greatly. The final study will test the new therapy with a small clinical trial.

Scientific Title: Supported guided bilateral leg movement in hemiparetic stroke: quantitative analysis and pilot therapy studies

Classification:
Rehabilitation, Neurorehabilitation