Samenvatting

Patients who have suffered a stroke need to (re)learn motor skills in order to live independently. Cognitive deficits can make the understanding of movement instructions during rehabilitation very tough. In the sport domain, analogy learning has been shown to facilitate motor learning without the need for providing explicit, verbal rules. There may therefore be clinical utility in using analogies in the rehabilitation of stroke patients who may have cognitive deficits.
Aim: The aim of this study is 1) to assess the feasibility and utility of developing personalized analogies to improve walking performance in long-term stroke survivors and 2) to explore potential benefits in subsequent walking performance. Methods: Three males aged 87, 67 and 70 who were 6, 1 and 3 years post-stroke,
respectively, with a different walking deficit were included. A personalized analogy targeted at improving walking was designed with the help of each participant (e.g. one participant worked on an improved swing phase via a “kick the ball” analogy). During a 3-week intervention period, the personalized analogy was practiced once weekly under supervision and daily at home. To assess feasibility a questionnaire was used following the intervention. Potential effects on walking performance were assessed using the 10 Meter Walking Test (MWT) and the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS).