Effects of unilateral step training along with rhythmic auditory stimulation on balance and postural stability in stroke patients

The objective of this study was to determine and compare the effects of unilateral step training, unilateral step training with rhythmic auditory stimulation, and conventional treadmill training on balance and postural stability in post-stroke patients. This three-arm, parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) initially enrolled 63 participants (21 each group) with ischemic stroke aged 40-60 years. Following the dropout of 2 participants from the Conventional Treadmill Training (CTT) group, the final analysis included 61 participants: 21 in Unilateral Step Training (UST), 21 in Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation combined with Unilateral Step Training (RAS + UST), and 19 in the CTT group. Each group completed a 12-week intervention with three 45-min sessions per week. Outcome measures included the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Fall Risk Score (FRS), Limits of Stability (LOS), Postural Stability Index (PSI), and Timed Up and Go test (TUG), with assessments at baseline, after 4th, 8th and 12th week. Between-group analysis showed that, after 12 weeks of intervention, significant improvement was observed in RAS + UST group for PSI (p = 0.003), FRS (p = 0.03), LOS (p = 0.03), BBS (p = 0.019), and TUG (p = 0.007). Within-group analysis indicated statistically significant improvements for all outcome measures across the three groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, RAS + UST was more effective in improving balance and postural stability in patients with stroke than UST alone or CTT.Clinical Trial Registry: Name: Effects of Unilateral Step Training on Gait and Balance in Stroke Patients. Number: NCT05449301. Link: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05449301?cond=EFFECTS%20OF%20UNILATERAL%20STEP%20TRAINING%20ON%20GAIT%20AND%20BALANCE%20IN%20STROKE%20PATIENTS.&rank=1. Date of Registration: 08/07/2022.