Key result
Rhythmic auditory underwater gait training doubles balance improvements in stroke patients over standard training.
Why the study?
Effective aquatic rehabilitation methods to improve muscle strength, balance, and gait abilities in stroke patients were not well established.
Does progressive rhythm auditory stimulation underwater gait training improve muscle strength, balance, and gait abilities in stroke patients?
RCT (n=37)
Single-blind (Assessor-blinded)
Random selection method using SPSS
No
Does progressive rhythm auditory stimulation underwater gait training improve muscle strength, balance, and gait abilities in stroke patients?
Absolute Event Rate: 10.53% vs 5.27%
p-value: p=<0.001
Progressive rhythm auditory stimulation during underwater gait training significantly improves balance, muscle strength, and gait abilities in stroke patients compared to standard underwater gait training.
May support progressive auditory stimulation in aquatic stroke rehab; leaves open confirmation in larger trials before practice change.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine changes in muscle strength, balance and gait abilities in stroke patients through underwater gait training with progressive rhythm auditory stimulation and to identify effective aquatic rehabilitation methods.Methods: A total of thirty-seven subjects diagnosed with stroke were randomly divided into three groups.Progressive rhythm auditory stimulation underwater gait training group (PUG) (n= 15), comfortable velocity underwater gait training (CUG) (n= 11) and control group (n= 11).Subjects received underwater gait training for 30 minutes, three times a week for 6 weeks.All subjects were assessed with Medical Research Council (MRC), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), 10 Meter Walking Test (10MWT) and Fugl-Myer Assessment (FMA) pre-and post-intervention.Results: All participants indicated significant improvements in all measured outcomes across all participants following the intervention (p< 0.05).The PUG showed significant differences in all evaluation parameters when compared to the CUG (p< 0.05).Additionally, the PUG demonstrated significant improvements in all assessment areas compared to the control group (p< 0.05).Similarly, the CUG showed significant improvements in all assessment parameters compared to the control group (p< 0.05).Conclusion: These results suggest that Progressive rhythm auditory stimulation underwater gait training is effective in improving balance and gait abilities and suggests an effective strategy of aquatic rehabilitation.
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Jaeho Park (2025) conducted an RCT in Stroke (n=37). Progressive rhythmic auditory stimulation underwater gait training vs. Comfortable speed underwater gait training and land-based gait training was evaluated on Change in Berg Balance Scale (BBS) score (p=<0.001). Progressive rhythmic auditory stimulation underwater gait training significantly improved balance, gait abilities, and lower extremity muscle strength in stroke patients compared to comfortable speed underwater gait training and land-based training.
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