PURPOSE: We propose a visual myofeedback protocol as a coadjuvant therapy to standard rehabilitation of post-stroke spastic patients. We also argue in favor of the tonic stretch reflex threshold (TSRT) as a more sensitive unit for quantifying subtle changes in the spastic response that may be induced by biofeedback training. METHOD: Sixteen volunteers with ischaemic stroke were divided into an experimental group (EG), subjected to myofeedback training in parallel with conventional physical therapy and a control group (CG), receiving only conventional physical therapy. The EG subjects underwent a six-week myofeedback training, with two sessions weekly. Both groups followed the same treatment schedule for physical therapy. The TSRTs of the volunteers' spastic muscles were assessed before the beginning of the experimental protocol and 3 weeks after it ended. RESULTS: Both groups showed some degree of improvement in the level of spasticity when the final TSRT values were compared to the initial values. However, the percentage of improvement (after-before) of the experimental group (38.59%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (18.58%). CONCLUSION: The myofeedback training provided a significant contribution to conventional treatment, allowing for a better improvement of the spastic condition.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PubMed
• PDF locator
• publisher