Effect of Mechanical Horse Practice as New Postural Training in Patients With Neurological Disorders: A Pilot Study

Frontiers in Psychology

article

Héloïse Baillet¹  David Leroy¹  Eric Vérin²  Claire Delpouve⁴  Nicolas Benguigui⁵  John Komar⁶  Régis Thouvarecq¹ 

[1] Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, CETAPS;Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, GRHV EA;Rouen University Hospital;CRMPR Les Herbiers Rehabilitation Center;Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, CESAMS;National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University

关键词: rehabilitation;    posture;    horse simulator;    brain-injured patients;    motor control;    dynamic approach;    constraints;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01035

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Objective: From a dynamic system approach, this study evaluated the impact of a new training protocol using a mechanical horse on the postural coordination of brain-damaged patients. Methods: Eighteen volunteer brain-damaged patients (i.e., post-stroke or traumatic brain injury) were recruited and randomly divided into an experimental group (horse group; n = 10, conventional therapy associated with horse-riding exercise on the mechanical horse for 30 min, twice a week, for 12 weeks) and a control group ( n = 8; conventional therapy without intervention on the mechanical horse). Postural coordination was evaluated during pre- and post-tests through discrete relative phase (DRP) computation: ϕ Head−Horse , ϕ Trunk−Horse. Results: A significant effect of used training has been showed, F (1, 15) = 16.6 ( p < 0.05) for all patients, concerning the trunk/horse coordination. Conclusion: This pilot study results showed the impact of this new training method on the postural coordination of these patients. After 24 sessions, the coordination of the horse group patients differed from that of the control group, showing their ability to adapt to constraints and develop specific modes of postural coordination (trunk/horse antiphase ) to optimize their posture.

【 授权许可】

CC BY