id_797. MONITORING TRUNK CONTROL AND SITTING STABILITY AFTER STROKE: RESPONSIVENESS OF THE TRUNK IMPAIRMENT SCALE AND THE STROKE IMPACT SCALE TO BIOFEEDBACK-BASED TRAINING
Jana Kimijanová1, Martin Gábor2,3, Zuzana Hirjaková1, Helena Šingliarová3, Peter Valkovič1,2, Diana Bzdúšková1
1 Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewiczova 1, 813 71 Bratislava, Slovakia
2 2nd Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Limbová 5, 833 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
3 Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, University Hospital Bratislava, Ružinovská 6, 826 06 Bratislava, Slovakia
INTRODUCTION: Stroke survivors frequently exhibit impaired trunk control and reduced sitting stability, which limit mobility, balance, and independence in activities of daily living (ADL). In patients who cannot yet stand safely, sensitive clinical tools are needed to monitor trunk- and sitting-related recovery and to capture intervention-related change.
AIM(S): To evaluate the responsiveness of the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) and Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) to a biofeedback-based sensory training program targeting sitting postural stability in subacute stroke patients, and to compare outcomes with standard physiotherapy alone.
METHOD(S): In this randomized controlled study, 40 subacute post-stroke inpatients were allocated to an Experimental group receiving daily sitting postural training with center-of-pressure–based visual biofeedback in addition to standard physiotherapy, or to a Control group receiving standard physiotherapy only. Trunk control and patient-reported impact were assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the TIS and SIS, including SIS domain scores.
RESULTS: Both groups showed significant improvements over time in trunk control and functional status, reflected by increased TIS and SIS scores. The Experimental group achieved greater gains than the Control group, with the most pronounced effects observed in overall TIS score and in the SIS Mobility and SIS ADL domains. Improvements in mobility were strongly associated with better ADL performance.
CONCLUSIONS: TIS and SIS are responsive to training-related changes following biofeedback-based sensory training in subacute stroke rehabilitation. Complementary trunk-focused intervention with enhanced sensory input yields greater improvements in postural stability and functional mobility than standard therapy alone. Combined use of TIS and SIS provides a clinically meaningful overview of performance-based and patient-reported outcomes relevant to independence after stroke.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT: This work was supported by the Slovak grant agency VEGA No. 2/0098/25 and the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract No. APVV-20-0420.