Auditory feedback alters postural control and functional ability in patients with chronic stroke

Abstract Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of white noise on dynamic balance in patients with stroke and the pre- and post-intervention changes in dynamic balance during walking by analyzing the anterior-posterior (A-P) and medial-lateral (M-L) center of pressure (CoP) range and velocity, center of mass (CoM), and A-P/M-L inclination angle using CoM-CoP and to establish the basis for using auditory feedback as an effective means of exercise intervention by bringing changes in dynamic balance abilities of patients with chronic stroke and retain the necessary abilities for maintaining independent and functional daily living.Methods: Nineteen patients with chronic stroke (age: 61.2±9.8 years, height: 164.4±7.4 cm, weight: 61.1±9.4 kg, paretic side (R/L): 11/8, duration: 11.6±4.9 years) were included as study participants. Auditory feedback used white noise, and all participants listened for 20 minutes mixing six types of natural sounds with random sounds. The dynamic balancing ability was evaluated during the walking, and the variables were the center of pressure (CoP), the center of mass (CoM), CoP-CoM inclined angle.Results: There is a significant increase in the A-P CoP range, A-P inclination angle, and gait speed on the paretic and non-paretic sides following white noise intervention (p<.05). In addition, the changes in CoP velocity on the paretic and non-paretic sides increased in both the A-P and M-L directions but not significantly.Conclusion: Our findings confirmed the positive effect of using white noise as auditory feedback through a more objective and quantitative assessment using CoP-CoM inclination angle as an evaluation indicator for assessing dynamic balance in patients with chronic stroke. The A-P and M-L inclination angle can be employed as a useful indicator for evaluating other exercise programs and intervention methods for functional enhancement of patients with chronic stroke in terms of their effects on dynamic balance and effectiveness.