Abstract

Thirteen hemiplegic patients who had a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in the anterior cerebral circulation were subjected to training on a moving platform. An electromyogram (EMG) was recorded from the tibialis anteror (TA) muscles of each patient during training and at stance on the floor. In addition, the distribution of body weight on the feet was measured in each case before the training program began and at its termination after three weeks (15 training sessions). A matched group of 11 hemiplegic patients served as controls. Ten patients in the experimental group showed more than a two-fold increase in the maximal movement amplitude (MMA) that they could sustain. The patients most impaired initially showed the greatest increase in MMA - five- to seven-fold. In the control group, only one patient had an MMA increase greater than twofold. A significant improvement in weight distribution on the feet during stance on the floor was found in the experimental patients, but not in the controls. EMG record indicated that improvement in stance did not result from increased TA activation in the hindered leg. The improvement in postural stabi lity of the experimental patients was interpreted to manifest the operation of subcortical posture-control mechanisms. Verf.-Referat