Affiliations: [a] Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Department of Physical Therapy, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| [b] Université de Montreal (UdeM), Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en réadaptation (CRIR), Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay de Montréal (IRGLM), CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l’île-de-Montréal, Montréal, Canada
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Christina Danielli Coelho de Morais Faria, Ph.D. Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos, 6627 –Campus Pampulha. 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Tel.:/Fax: +55 55 31 3409 783; E-mails: cdcmf@ufmg.br; chrismoraisf@gmail.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Impaired mobility is related to low physical activity (PA) levels observed after stroke. Therapeutic approaches, such as task-specific circuit training (TSCT), used to improve mobility in individuals with stroke, could also improve PA levels. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the efficacy of TSCT, focused on both upper (UL) and lower (LL) limbs, in improving PA levels and mobility (primary outcomes), as well as muscle strength, exercise capacity, and quality of life (secondary outcomes) in subjects with stroke. METHODS:A randomized controlled trial with 36 subjects with chronic stroke was conducted. Experimental group: TSCT, involving both UL and LL. Control group: global stretching, memory exercises, and education sessions. Both groups received 60 minute sessions/week over 12 weeks. Outcomes were measured at baseline, post-intervention and 16 week follow-up. RESULTS:No changes were found for primary and secondary outcomes (0.11≤p≤0.99), except for quality of life, which improved in the experimental group post-intervention and 16 week follow-up (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION:TSCT focused on both UL and LL was not effective on PA levels and mobility of individuals with chronic stroke, however, improvements in quality of life were observed. Since this is the first study to investigate this combined training aimed at improving PA levels, future studies are necessary to better understand the impact of this type of intervention.
Keywords: Stroke, physical activity, mobility, task-specific training, quality of life
