Kontakt 2021, 23(3):170-177 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2021.023

Longitudinal study of postural and locomotor function development in clients with brain damageSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Markéta Bendová^{1, *}, Martina Hartmanová¹, Jitka Vacková¹, Marcela Míková^{1, 2}, Anna Kuželková^{1, 3}

¹ University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

² České Budějovice Hospital a. s., Department of Rehabilitation, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

³ Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, The First Faculty of Medicine, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic

Background: Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a disease that causes severe disability. For this reason, we established an interprofessional rehabilitation team consisting of physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and social workers operating in home settings - in an effort to minimize the consequences of long-term disability.

Objectives: Evaluate the development of postural and balance functions (over a 9-month period) in 17 clients with ABI undergoing individualized 3-month physiotherapy in the home setting.

Methods: Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed Up and Go test (TUG) were used to quantify the functional status of the clients. A total of 4 assessments were completed at the initial, 3 months, 6 months, and final 9-months examinations.

Results: According to BBS and TUG, 15 clients showed an improvement in their balance functions after the intervention; 2 clients were unable to complete the TUG, and 6 clients remained at risk of falling.

Conclusions: Our results showed a clear benefit of the physiotherapeutic intervention. However, 6 months after completion, one-third of the clients had worse results on the TUG; although 15 clients continued to improve according to the BBS. This indicates the higher sensitivity of the TUG test for evaluating balance functions, and that physiotherapeutic interventions should be prolonged, particularly in clients with a Functional Independence Measure instrument (FIM) of less than 6 points.

Keywords: Acquired brain injury; BBS; FIM; Risk of falls; Stability evaluation; TUG test

Grants and funding:

This work was supported by the University of South Bohemia Grant Agency under the Grant “Coordinated rehabilitation of patients with brain injury” (Reg. No. GAJU 138/2016/S).

Conflicts of interest:

The authors have no conflict of interests to declare.

Received: December 9, 2020; Revised: April 5, 2021; Accepted: May 19, 2021; Prepublished online: May 19, 2021; Published: September 3, 2021  Show citation