Weight bearing asymmetry in standing hemiparetic patients
- Correspondence to: D Pérennou Service de Rééducation Neurologique et INSERM ERIT M-207, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Rééducation, 23 rue Gaffarel, 21034 Dijon cedex, France; dominic.perennouchu-dijon.fr
MCA stroke may disrupt corticobulbar projection to brainstem output pathways involved in the vestibular control of balance
Postural disorders are a primary disability after stroke.1 They lead to loss of autonomy and expose patients to a high risk of falling. We must bear in mind that following a total anterior circulation infarct, the median time to recover the ability to stand for 10 s is 44 days (25th–75th percentile: 38–57 days)2. Retraining the patient to stand is therefore a primary goal in post stroke rehabilitation, especially following hemisphere strokes.
Three main patterns characterise the standing posture of hemiparetic patients1: i) an increase in centre of gravity displacement, which reflects postural instability and results from orthopaedic, sensorimotor, and cognitive impairments; ii) the presence of a small area of stability beyond which the centre of gravity cannot move without …
