Recovery of standing balance in postacute stroke patients: a rehabilitation cohort study

de Haart M, Geurts AC, Huidekoper SC, Fasotti L, van Limbeek J. Recovery of standing balance in postacute stroke patients: a rehabilitation cohort study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:886–95. To identify and interrelate static and dynamic characteristics of the restoration of quiet standing balance in a representative sample of stroke survivors in the Netherlands during their inpatient rehabilitation. Exploratory study using an inception cohort with findings related to reference values from healthy elderly persons. Rehabilitation center. Thirty-seven inpatients (mean age, 61.6y; mean time poststroke, 10.0wk) with a first hemispheric intracerebral infarction or hematoma who were admitted to retrain standing balance and walking. Individualized therapy. Center of pressure fluctuations were registered under each foot and in the sagittal and frontal planes separately by using a dual-plate force platform. The first balance measurements took place as soon as patients were able to stand unassisted for at least 30 seconds as well as 2, 4, 8, and, 12 weeks later. Quiet standing was assessed under 4 conditions: with and without a visual midline reference, with the eyes closed, and while performing a concurrent arithmetic task. The stroke patients showed excessive postural sway and instability, particularly in the frontal plane, compared with reference values. Frontal plane balance was, however, also most responsive to the effects of balance training and recovery ( P