[Effect of music on gait symmetry of stroke patients on a treadmill]

Author(s): Steingruber, W., Mauritz, K. H.

Journal/Book: Biomed Tech (Berl). 1996; 41: 291-6.

Abstract: The influence of rhythmic music on gait symmetry was investigated in 12 healthy subjects and 12 stroke patients with mild leg paresis walking on the treadmill. For the measurement, new insoles containing air- filled chambers developed by W.O.M were used. Symmetry deviation was determined as the mean signless difference between left and right swing phases of some 100 strides. In 6 patients, the symmetry deviation decreased by more than 1% of the stride duration some 40 steps after switching on the music. The improvement correlated with the initial symmetry (r2 = 0.61) exclusively in the healthy controls. In order to differentiate individual predictors of the improvement in symmetry, such as cognitive performance in terms of recognizing the beat of the music and the motor performance in terms of synchronizing the movements of the legs to the music, we analysed foot tapping with the patient in the seated position. For both patients and healthy subjects, the mean time difference between beat and foot movement was less than +/-1/32 beat. Individual scatter of mean 8% correspond in the case of healthy subjects to the figures found in the literature for finger movements, and the corresponding figures for the patients are more than twice this. The individual synchronisation performance during walking to music correlates to that during foot tapping (r2 = 0.47) exclusively in the group of healthy controls.

Keyword(s): Cerebrovascular Disorders/physiopathology/rehabilitation. English Abstract. Exercise Test. Feedback/physiology. Gait/physiology. Human. Laterality/physiology. Music. Time Perception/physiology. Weight-Bearing/physiology

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