Virtual reality-enhanced body weight-supported treadmill training improved lower limb motor function in patients with cerebral infarction

Background: Most stroke patients affected walking dysfunction. Virtual reality-enhanced body weight-supported treadmill training has been proposed as a strategy for gait training of cerebral infarction subjects. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality-enhanced body weight-supported treadmill training on lower limb motor function in subacute cerebral infarction patients. Methods: Twenty cerebral infarction patients (within 3 months of onset) were randomly divided into experiment group (virtual reality-enhanced body weight-supported treadmill training) and control group (conventional physiotherapy). Three-dimensional gait analysis in lower limb motor function was carried out before and after 3-week gait training. Intergroup and intragroup comparisons in the following parameters were done before and after training: walking speed, cadence, step time, single limb support time (%), double limb support time (%), nonparetic swing (%), step length, pace, range of motion in the lower limb, functional ambulation category, Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the lower limbs and Brunel Balance Assessment. Results and Conclusion: No significant differences in patient's gender, age, course of disease, affected. side, walking speed, functional ambulation category, Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the lower limbs and Brunel Balance Assessment were detected between the two groups before training (P > 0.05). Fugl-Meyer Assessment and functional ambulation category were improved in patients of the two groups after training (P < 0.05). The improvement in walking speed, cadence, step time in affected side, step time in healthy side, single limb support time in affected side (%), nonparetic swing (%), pace, step lengths in affected and healthy sides were better in the experimental group than those in the control group.