摘要
Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) changes leg muscle coordination during walking and reduces stability. The aim of this study was to determine whether rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) affected the gait performance of patients with DPN. Methods: Forty DPN patients (mean age, 59.1 ± 9.4 y) were randomly allocated to RAS and control groups in equal numbers. The participants in each group underwent 2 weeks of supervised rehabilitative treatment (40 min/day) as inpatients. This included walking twice a day, during which the RAS group participants walked in time with a metronome set at a self-chosen, comfortable rate. We compared gait function, lower limb muscle co-contraction, and gait stability before and after the intervention for both groups, calculated the change in score for each parameter, and assessed differences between the groups with unpaired t-tests and ANCOVA. Results: RAS was associated with significant improvement in all parameters. In the control group, there was no improvement in cadence, co-contraction, or gait stability (vertical). Compared with the control group, the RAS group showed improvement in co-contraction and gait stability. Conclusion: RAS may be helpful for improving the lower limb muscle coordination and gait function of DPN patients.
Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) changes leg muscle coordination during walking and reduces stability. The aim of this study was to determine whether rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) affected the gait performance of patients with DPN. Methods: Forty DPN patients (mean age, 59.1 ± 9.4 y) were randomly allocated to RAS and control groups in equal numbers. The participants in each group underwent 2 weeks of supervised rehabilitative treatment (40 min/day) as inpatients. This included walking twice a day, during which the RAS group participants walked in time with a metronome set at a self-chosen, comfortable rate. We compared gait function, lower limb muscle co-contraction, and gait stability before and after the intervention for both groups, calculated the change in score for each parameter, and assessed differences between the groups with unpaired t-tests and ANCOVA. Results: RAS was associated with significant improvement in all parameters. In the control group, there was no improvement in cadence, co-contraction, or gait stability (vertical). Compared with the control group, the RAS group showed improvement in co-contraction and gait stability. Conclusion: RAS may be helpful for improving the lower limb muscle coordination and gait function of DPN patients.
