Relationship between walking function and 1-legged bicycling test in subjects in the later stage post-stroke.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to examine the correlation between 1-legged bicycling and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) in subjects post-stroke. A further aim was to analyse the relationship between specific stroke impairment and walking endurance. PARTICIPANTS Thirty-four subjects (mean age 60 (standard deviation (SD) 4.1) years; mean time post-stroke 62 (SD 33) months) with stroke at least 6 months earlier were tested. METHODS Subjects were evaluated using the 6MWT (distance, heart rate, systolic blood pressure), 1-legged bicycling (VO2peak, maximal workload (Wmax), heart rate, systolic blood pressure, total exercise time), Fugl-Meyer motor function scale for the lower extremity and Berg Balance Scale. Correlational analyses were used to evaluate the relationships between variables. RESULTS There was a low correlation between 6MWT and VO2peak (rs=0.39) and a moderate correlation with Wmax (rs=0.64) and total exercise time (rs=0.58) (p<0.001) during 1-legged bicycling test for the paretic leg. However, no significant correlation was found in the non-paretic leg. Motor function for the lower extremity and Berg Balance Scale showed a high (rs=0.72) and moderate (rs=0.68) correlation, respectively, with the 6MWT. CONCLUSIONS The 6MWT is influenced by motor function and balance as well as cardiorespiratory fitness. Heart rate and systolic blood pressure indicate cardiovascular stress, but the 6MWT cannot be used alone to evaluate fitness in subjects with stroke in the later stages.