QUESTION: Does intensive sit-to-stand training in addition to usual care improve sit-to-stand ability in people who are unable to stand up independently after stroke? DESIGN: A multi-centre randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding and intention-to-treat analysis. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty patients from two Sydney hospitals, < 3 months after stroke, with a mean Modified Rankin Scale score of 4 points (SD 0.5). INTERVENTION: All participants received usual care. Participants in the experimental group attended two additional sessions of physiotherapy per day for 2 weeks. These sessions were individualised to the needs of each participant in order to increase the amount and intensity of sit-to-stand training. OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures were taken at baseline and at 2 weeks. The primary outcome was clinicians' impressions of sit-to-stand change, measured using videos and a 15-point Global Impressions of Change Scale. Secondary outcomes were sit-to-stand ability, composite strength of key muscles of the affected lower limb, gross lower limb extension strength, the Goal Attainment Scale, and ranking of change in ability to move from sitting to standing. RESULTS: All participants completed the trial. The mean between-group difference for clinicians' impressions of sit-to-stand change was 1.57/15 points (95% CI 0.02 to 3.11). The secondary outcomes that indicated a treatment effect were gross lower limb extension strength and ranking of change in ability to move from sitting to standing, with mean between-group differences of 6.2 deg (95% CI 0.5 to 11.8) and -7 (95% CI -1 to -13), respectively. CONCLUSION: Two weeks of intensive sit-to-stand training in addition to usual care improves sit-to-stand ability in people who are unable to stand up independently after stroke.

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