Stroke is a central nervous system disorder caused by partial loss of brain function. On average, one American dies from stroke every 4 minutes. Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States experience a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new stroke occurrences. About 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes, when blood flow to the brain is blocked. Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability. Stroke costs the United States an estimated 34 billion dollars each year. This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and missed working days.
An estimated 25–74% of the 50 million stroke survivors worldwide require some assistance or are fully dependent on caregivers for activities of daily living. Gait is the most important factor related to independence in these activities. Chronic stroke patients frequently have persistent gait abnormalities related to paresis and spasticity, which limit their capacity to climb stairs, walk long distances, increase gait speed and step over obstacles. Community access requires not only the ability to walk, but also the ability to manage uneven surfaces, elevations, and curbs. After stroke, sensorimotor impairments including proprioceptive deficits, …show more content…
Walking in the community is often performed concurrently with cognitive tasks, such as remembering directions or engaging in social interactions. A reduced capacity for dual-task walking may restrict the degree to which a person is able to physically function and participate in their life roles. Single-task gait speed may recover to normal values after rehabilitation from stroke. Dual-task capacity can remain considerably