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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Walking Training and Functioning Among Elderly Persons With Stroke: Results of a Prospective Cohort Study.

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Abstract Objective To determine if 65- to 85-year-old persons who had a stroke within the previous 3-36 months can improve functioning and quality of life during walking rehabilitation. Design Prospective cohort study with 6-month follow-up. Setting Three inpatient rehabilitation centers and one outpatient rehabilitation center. Participants A total of 147 persons who had sustained a stroke. Intervention The multidisciplinary rehabilitation intervention consisted of inpatient (20 days) or outpatient (18 days) rehabilitation with follow-up. Rehabilitation included walking exercises with and without body-weight support and conventional physiotherapy. After the rehabilitation period, participants received 10-15 individual physiotherapy sessions at outpatient clinics and guidance in home exercises. Measurements The 6-Minute Walking Test (6MWT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS), Functional Status Questionnaire (FSQ), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), WHO Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF), and Sense of Coherence (SOC-13) were administered at the beginning of rehabilitation and at 6-month follow-up. Results Walking distance (6MWT) improved by 17 ± 51 meters ( P P = .010), the process scale score improved by 0.10 ± 0.46 logits ( P = .012), and the FSQ self-care score improved by 2.8 ± 15.8 points ( P = .039). The changes in the total (4.2 ± 9.0), motor (3.7 ± 8.0), and cognitive (0.5 ± 2.0) scores of the FIM were statistically significant ( P Conclusions Walking distance and both self-reported and measured functioning improved during walking rehabilitation among elderly persons who had a stroke. Maintaining or improving functioning through rehabilitation and self-administered exercises may be important in supporting mobility and independent living outside institutional care.