AIM: To investigate the effect of cognitive training on equilibrium function of stroke patients with constructional apraxia. METHODS: Fifty-nine stroke patients with constructional apraxia (1997-01-2001-12) were randomly divided into the observation group (n = 30) and control group (n = 29). Both groups received routine comprehensive physiotherapy (including physical agent therapy, lamb function, turn-over, posture shifting, sitting and standing equilibrium function training) and performance therapy (including performance of striding-over the midline and instruction of activities of daily living (ADL), besides, the observation group received the cognitive training of visual-space perception (including geometric figures facsimile, match picture puzzle, brick building training and so on). The course was 6 weeks. Before and after the treatment, the lower lamb motor function was evaluated with simple Fugl-Meyer, equilibrium with Fugl-Meyer balance scale, and constructional apraxia with geometric figures facsimile test. And the result was classified into 4 levels. RESULTS: There were no significant differences of the two groups in age, sex, type of disease, diseased side, score of lower lamb in Fugal-Meyer scale, Fugal-Meyer balance scale and geometric figures facsimile before treatment. After 6 weeks, there were no significant differences between the two groups in Fugl-Meyer score of lower lawb(8.47 +/- 2.17 and 7.62 +/- 2.05, t = 1.27, p = 0.48), while the evaluation of geometric figures facsimile (3.13 +/- 0.78 and 1.90 +/- 0.82, t = 8.47, p = 0.00), Fugl-Meyer balance scale (7.17 +/- 2.07 and 3.52 +/- 1.33, t = 8.93, p = 0.00) in observation group were better than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Space cognitive training can facilitate the recovery of the equilibrium function in hemiplegic patients.

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