Application of sliding rehabilitation machine in patients with severe cognitive dysfunction after stroke

Abstract

A sliding rehabilitation machine (SRM) allows closed kinetic chain exercises of the hip, knee, and ankle. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of SRM training when included in an intensive rehabilitation program for post-stroke patients with severe cognitive dysfunction. The study design is a retrospective analysis. Patients who were admitted for inpatient rehabilitation after stroke with subsequent severe cognitive dysfunction were enrolled. Training with the SRM was conducted twice a day from Monday to Friday during hospitalization for three to four weeks. The number of sessions and the occurrence of side effects were documented daily. The SRM's inclination angle, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), manual muscle test (MMT), and Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) were documented upon admission and discharge. In 30 patients, 1736 sessions were performed from a total of 1754 scheduled sessions of SRM training. The performance rate was 98.9%, and there were no serious side effects. Transient side effects such as dizziness, nausea, and knee pain were observed in a few cases. At discharge, patients showed improvement in the SRM inclination angle, BBS, MMT, and K-MBI. This study shows that the use of the SRM for intensive muscle strengthening is readily applicable to patients who have had a stroke with severe cognitive dysfunction.