Postural Responses to External Perturbation in Post-Stroke

University of Sao Paulo

Status

Unknown

Conditions

Stroke

Treatments

Other: Sensory Intervention

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT01912794

SMH-2011/18173-3

Details and patient eligibility

About

To maintain stable body balance in daily activities, the ability to respond to external perturbations is an essential factor. Such capacity is limited in pathological conditions, such as in stroke, in which postural control is impaired due to lesions to the central nervous system. Impairment to postural control increases body sway during upright posture and leads to augmented frequency of falls. In this sense, the identification of mechanisms involved in body balance disorders after stroke is particularly important in situations of postural perturbation. The purpose of this project is to evaluate reactive postural responses to unpredictable external perturbations, analyzing postural dysfunctions caused by lesion to different brain areas as a result of stroke, and test principles of dynamic body balance rehabilitation.

Enrollment

24 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

45 to 70 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria are as follows. Healthy participants: absence of detectable neurological or physical malfunction which might affect postural control, no use of drugs affecting body balance and preserved mental capacity. Stroke patients: capacity to sustain independently orthostatic posture for at least 5 min. and preserved mental capacity.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria are: no orthopedic malfunction, no clinical instability associated with systemic disease, no use of drugs affecting body balance and presence of "pusher syndrome".