Participants were scheduled to receive intervention for five sess

Participants were scheduled to receive intervention for five sessions a week until they achieved independent walking or were discharged. The experimental group participated in 1336 sessions which represents 85% of possible sessions if the

intervention was delivered 5 days/wk. The control group participated in 1490 sessions which represents 89% of possible sessions. Examination of the records of intervention revealed that intervention was given as randomly allocated 97% of the time. For the independent walkers, data on walking quality and capacity were obtained 90% of the time. For all participants, data on walking perception, community participation, and falls were obtained 80% of the time. Reasons for missing data included incomplete questionnaires, moving out of the area, and declining to participate in assessment of outcomes. Group data are presented

in Table 2 and individual data in Table Ruxolitinib nmr 3 (see eAddenda for Table 3). Over the six month period after admission to the study, 43/60 (72%) of the experimental group achieved independent walking. However, one of the experimental group walkers died before the 6-month measure, reducing the number of the experimental group independently walking at 6 months to 42/59 (71%) compared with 36/60 (60%) of the control group. In terms of the walking quality and capacity of the independent walkers at 6 months, the experimental group walked with a mean speed that was 0.10 m/s (95% CI –0.06 to 0.26) faster and took a mean stride that was 6 cm (95% CI –7 to 19) longer than the control group, neither of which were statistically significant. The Selleck BMS 907351 experimental group walked a mean distance of 57 m (95% CI 1 to 113) further in six minutes than the control group which was statistically significant (Table 2). At 6 months, the experimental group rated their walking 1.0 out of 10.0 points (95% CI 0.1 to 1.9) higher than the control group. However, both groups scored low enough on the Adelaide Activities Profile and the experimental group score was only 1 out of 72 points (95% CI –3

to 5) higher than the control group. Although 10% (95% CI –10 to 28) more of the experimental group fell, on average they had 0.1 (95% CI –0.6 to 0.8) fewer falls than the control group, neither of which were statistically significant (Table 2). The findings from this study suggest that in non-ambulatory people after stroke, treadmill walking with body weight support during inpatient rehabilitation is not detrimental to walking quality compared with assisted overground walking. For those who achieved independent walking, we found no difference between the groups in terms of speed or stride length. Recently, Tilson and colleagues (2010) reported that patients with subacute stroke whose gait speed increased by at least 0.16 m/s were more likely to experience a meaningful reduction in disability.

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