Metronome cueing of walking reduces gait variability after a cerebellar stroke

Rachel L. Wright, Joseph W. Bevins, David Pratt, Catherine M. Sackley, Alan M. Wing

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Cerebellar stroke typically results in increased variability during walking. Previous research has suggested that auditory cueing reduces excessive variability in conditions such as Parkinson's disease and post-stroke hemiparesis. The aim of this case report was to investigate whether the use of a metronome cue during walking could reduce excessive variability in gait parameters after a cerebellar stroke. An elderly female with a history of cerebellar stroke and recurrent falling undertook three standard gait trials and three gait trials with an auditory metronome. A Vicon system was used to collect 3-D marker trajectory data. The coefficient of variation was calculated for temporal and spatial gait parameters. SDs of the joint angles were calculated and used to give a measure of joint kinematic variability. Step time, stance time, and double support time variability were reduced with metronome cueing. Variability in the sagittal hip, knee, and ankle angles were reduced to normal values when walking to the metronome. In summary, metronome cueing resulted in a decrease in variability for step, stance, and double support times and joint kinematics. Further research is needed to establish whether a metronome may be useful in gait rehabilitation after cerebellar stroke and whether this leads to a decreased risk of falling.

Original languageEnglish
Article number84
Number of pages6
JournalFrontiers in Neurology
Volume7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2016
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Funder

The Stroke Association UK

Keywords

  • Auditory cueing
  • Cerebellar stroke
  • Gait ataxia
  • Gait kinematics
  • Gait variability
  • Rhythmic auditory stimulation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neurology
  • Clinical Neurology

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