Presented at the 2020 APTA Combined Sections Meeting (Denver, CO)<\/p>\n
T. George Hornby, Chris Henderson, Maghan Bretz<\/p>\n
Description<\/strong><\/p>\n This session will detail the accumulating evidence regarding the feasibility and efficacy of locomotor training of varied, skilled walking tasks at higher aerobic intensities in neurologic physical therapist practice. Studies have challenged the efficacy of traditional rehabilitation strategies to improve locomotor function following in neurologic populations. Rather, strategies that emphasize task-specific (walking) practice of skilled locomotor tasks, specifically at higher cardiovascular demands, has been shown to be safe and feasible, and can improve multiple aspects of locomotor performance, including walking independence, speed, and endurance, as well as aerobic capacity, balance, and transfers. Such strategies focus primary on functional task completion rather than optimizing movement strategies, but nonetheless result in improved gait quality and neuromuscular coordination as compared to alternative interventions. The presenters will briefly summarize the safety and evidence for high-intensity stepping training in variable context, the data delineating the relative gains in multiple domains of impairments, function, and participation, and selected data on the mechanistic basis of these changes. Subsequent emphasis will be placed on current strategies directed towards implementation of such training into standard clinical rehabilitation of neurologic patient populations.<\/p>\n Authors\/Institutions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n