***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Objective : To assess long term effects at 1 year after stroke in patients who participated in an upper and lower limb intensity training programme in the acute and subacute rehabilitation phases . Design : A three group r and omised controlled trial with repeated measures was used . Method : One hundred and one patients with a primary middle cerebral artery stroke were r and omly allocated to one of three groups for a 20 week rehabilitation programme with an emphasis on ( 1 ) upper limb function , ( 2 ) lower limb function or ( 3 ) immobilisation with an inflatable pressure splint ( control group ) . Follow up assessment s within and between groups were compared at 6 , 9 , and 12 months after stroke . Results : No statistically significant effects were found for treatment assignment from 6 months onwards . At a group level , the significant differences in efficacy demonstrated at 20 weeks after stroke in favour of the lower limb remained . However , no significant differences in functional recovery between groups were found for Barthel index ( BI ) , functional ambulation categories (FAC),action research arm test ( ARAT ) , comfortable and maximal walking speed , Nottingham health profile part 1(NHP-part 1 ) , sickness impact profile-68 ( SIP-68 ) , and Frenchay activities index ( FAI ) from 6 months onwards . At an individual subject level a substantial number of patients showed improvement or deterioration in upper limb function ( n=8 and 5 , respectively ) and lower limb function ( n=19 and 9 , respectively ) . Activities of daily living ( ADL ) scores showed that five patients deteriorated and four improved beyond the error threshold from 6 months onwards . In particular , patients with some but incomplete functional recovery at 6 months are likely to continue to improve or regress from 6 months onwards . Conclusions : On average patients maintained their functional gains for up to 1 year after stroke after receiving a 20 week upper or lower limb function training programme . However , a significant number of patients with incomplete recovery showed improvements or deterioration in dexterity , walking ability , and ADL beyond the error threshold BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We report the findings of a r and omized controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary Stroke Education Program ( SEP ) for patients and their informal carers . METHODS Two hundred four patients admitted with acute stroke and their 176 informal carers were r and omized to receive an invitation to the SEP or to receive conventional stroke unit care . The SEP consisted of one 1-hour small group educational session for in patients followed by six 1-hour sessions after discharge . The primary outcome measure was patient- and carer-perceived health status ( SF-36 ) at 6 months after stroke . Knowledge of stroke , satisfaction with services , emotional outcome , disability , and h and icap and were secondary outcome measures . RESULTS Only 51 of 108 ( 47 % ) surviving patients r and omized to the SEP completed the program , as did 20 of 93 ( 22 % ) informal carers of surviving patients .  Perceived health status ( Short Form 36 [ SF-36 ] health survey ) scores were similar for SEP patients and controls . Informal carers in the control group scored better on the social functioning component of the SF-36 than the SEP group ( P=0.04 ) . Patients and informal carers in the SEP group scored higher on the stroke knowledge scale than controls ( patients , P=0.02 ; carers , P=0 . 01 ) . Patients in the SEP group were more satisfied with the information that they had received about stroke ( P=0.004 ) . There were no differences in emotional or functional outcomes between groups . CONCLUSIONS Although the SEP improved patient and informal carer knowledge about stroke and patient satisfaction with some components of stroke services , this was not associated with an improvement in their perceived health status . Indeed , the social functioning of informal carers r and omized to the SEP was less than in the control group BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Rehabilitation care after stroke is highly variable and increasingly shorter in duration . The effect of therapeutic exercise on impairments and functional limitations after stroke is not clear . The objective of this study was to determine whether a structured , progressive , physiologically based exercise program for subacute stroke produces gains greater than those attributable to spontaneous recovery and usual care . METHODS This r and omized , controlled , single-blind clinical trial was conducted in a metropolitan area and 17 participating healthcare institutions . We included persons with stroke who were living in the community . One hundred patients ( mean age , 70 years ; mean Orpington score , 3.4 ) consented and were r and omized from a screened sample of 582 . Ninety-two subjects completed the trial . Intervention was a structured , progressive , physiologically based , therapist-supervised , in-home program of thirty-six 90-minute sessions over 12 weeks targeting flexibility , strength , balance , endurance , and upper-extremity function . Main outcome measures were postintervention strength ( ankle and knee isometric peak torque , grip strength ) , upper- and lower-extremity motor control ( Fugl Meyer ) , balance ( Berg and functional reach ) , endurance ( peak aerobic capacity and exercise duration ) , upper-extremity function ( Wolf Motor Function Test ) , and mobility ( timed 10-m walk and 6-minute walk distance ) . RESULTS In the intention-to-treat multivariate analysis of variance testing the overall effect , the intervention produced greater gains than usual care ( Wilk 's lambda=0.64 , P=0.0056 ) . Both intervention and usual care groups improved in strength , balance , upper- and lower-extremity motor control , upper-extremity function , and gait velocity . Gains for the intervention group exceeded those in the usual care group in balance , endurance , peak aerobic capacity , and mobility . Upper-extremity gains exceeded those in the usual care group only in patients with higher baseline function . CONCLUSIONS This structured , progressive program of therapeutic exercise in persons who had completed acute rehabilitation services produced gains in endurance , balance , and mobility beyond those attributable to spontaneous recovery and usual care Background : St and ing is believed to have benefits in addressing motor and sensory impairments after stroke . One device to facilitate st and ing for severely disabled patients is the Oswestry St and ing Frame . Objective : To evaluate the effectiveness of the Oswestry St and ing Frame for severely disabled stroke patients . Design : A single centre , r and omized controlled trial . Setting : An inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit . Subjects : Patients were recruited if they had a clinical diagnosis of stroke , were medically stable and unable to achieve any score on the Trunk Control Test or unable to st and in mid-line without the assistance of two therapists . Intervention : The intervention ( n=71 ) and control ( n=69 ) groups both received usual stroke unit care but the intervention group also received a minimum of 14 consecutive days ' treatment using the st and ing frame . Main outcome measures : The primary outcome measure was the Rivermead Mobility Index ( RMI ) . Secondary measures included the Barthel Index ; the Rivermead Motor Assessment ; the balanced sitting and sitting to st and ing components of the Motor Assessment Scale ; the Trunk Control Test and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale . Blind assessment was undertaken at baseline , six weeks , 12 weeks and six months post stroke . Information on re source use was also collected . Results : There was no statistically significant difference between groups in any of the outcome measures or for re source use . Mann-Whitney U-tests for the RMI change from baseline scores to six weeks , 12 weeks and six months post stroke were p=0.310 ; p=0.970 and p=0.282 , respectively . Conclusion : Use of the Oswestry St and ing Frame did not improve clinical outcome or provide re source savings for this severely disabled patient group Guidelines in stroke rehabilitation recommend the use of a multidisciplinary approach . Different approaches and techniques with music are used in the stroke rehabilitation to improve motor and cognitive functions but also psychological outcomes . In this r and omized controlled pilot trial , relational active music therapy approaches were tested in the post-acute phase of disease . Thirty-eight hospitalized patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke were recruited and allocated in two groups . The experimental group underwent the st and ard of care ( physiotherapy and occupational therapy daily sessions ) and relational active music therapy treatments . The control group underwent the st and ard of care only .  Motor functions and psychological aspects were assessed before and after treatments . Music therapy process was also evaluated using a specific rating scale . All groups showed a positive trend in quality of life , functional and disability levels , and gross mobility . The experimental group showed a decrease of anxiety and , in particular , of depression ( p = 0.016 ) . In addition , the strength of non-dominant h and ( grip ) significantly increased in the experimental group ( p = 0.041 ) . Music therapy assessment showed a significant improvement over time of non-verbal and sonorous-music relationships . Future studies , including a greater number of patients and follow-up evaluations , are needed to confirm promising results of this study Background and Purpose — Additional exercise therapy has been shown to have a positive impact on function after acute stroke and research is now focusing on methods to increase the amount of therapy that is delivered . This r and omized controlled trial examined the impact of additional family-mediated exercise ( FAME ) therapy on outcome after acute stroke . Methods — Forty participants with acute stroke were r and omly assigned to either a control group who received routine therapy with no formal input from their family members or a FAME group , who received routine therapy and additional lower limb FAME therapy for 8 weeks . The primary outcome measure used was the lower limb section of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment modified by Lindmark . Other measures of impairment , activity , and participation were completed at baseline , postintervention , and at a 3-month follow-up . Results — Statistically significant differences in favor of the FAME group were noted on all measures of impairment and activity postintervention ( P<0.05 ) . These improvements persisted at the 3-month follow-up but only walking was statistically significant ( P<0.05 ) . Participants in the FAME group were also significantly more integrated into their community at follow-up ( P<0.05 ) . Family members in the FAME group reported a significant decrease in their levels of caregiver strain at the follow-up when compared with those in the control group ( P<0.01 ) . Conclusions — This evidence -based FAME intervention can serve to optimize patient recovery and family involvement after acute stroke at the same time as being mindful of available re sources Background and Purpose — The ability of therapeutic exercise after stroke to improve daily functioning and quality of life ( QOL ) remains controversial . We examined treatment effects on these outcomes in a r and omized controlled trial ( RCT ) of  exercise  in subacute stroke survivors . Methods — This is a secondary analysis of a single-blind RCT of a 12-week program versus usual care . Baseline , post-treatment and 6-month post-treatment daily functioning and QOL were assessed by Barthel index , Functional Independence Measure , instrumental activities of daily living , Medical Outcomes Study short-form 36-item question naire ( SF-36 ) , and Stroke Impact Scale ( SIS ) . Results — Of 100 r and omized subjects , 93 completed the postintervention assessment , ( mean age 70 ; 54 % male ; 81 % white ; mean Orpington Prognostic Score 3.4 ) , and 80 had 6-month post-treatment assessment . Immediately after intervention , the intervention group improved more than usual care in SF-36 social function ( 14.0 points ; P=0.0051 ) and in SIS ( strength [ 9.2 points ; P=0.0003 ] , emotion [ 5.6 points ; P=0.0240 ] , social participation [ 6.6 points ; P=0.0488 ] , and physical function [ 5.0 points ; P=0.0145 ] ) . Treatment was marginally more effective on Barthel score ( 3.3 points ; P=0.0510 ) , SF-36 ( physical function [ 6.8 points ; P=0.0586 ] , physical role function [ 14.4 points ; P=0.0708 ] ) , and SIS upper extremity function ( 7.2 points ; P=0.0790 ) . Effects were diluted 6 months after treatment ended . Conclusion — This rehabilitation exercise program led to more rapid improvement in aspects of physical , social , and role function than usual care in persons with subacute stroke . Adherence interventions to promote continued exercise after treatment might be needed to continue benefit BACKGROUND Community physiotherapy is often prescribed for stroke patients with long-term mobility problems . We aim ed to assess the effectiveness of this treatment in patients who had mobility problems 1 year after stroke . METHODS We screened 359 patients older than 50 years for a single-masked , r and omised controlled trial to assess the effects of community physiotherapy . Assessment s were made at baseline , 3 , 6 , and 9 months in 170 eligible patients assigned treatment or no intervention . The primary outcome measure was mobility measured by the Rivermead mobility index . Secondary outcome measures were gait speed , number of falls , daily activity ( Barthel index scores ) , social activity ( Frenchay activities index ) , hospital anxiety and depression scale , and emotional stress of carers ( general health question naire 28 ) . Analyses were by intention to treat . FINDINGS Follow-up was available for 146 patients ( 86 % ) . Changes in scores on the Rivermead mobility index ( score range 0 - 15 ) differed significantly between treatment and control groups at 3 months ( p=0.018 ) , but only by a median of 1 point ( 95 % CI 0 - 1 ) , with an interpolated value of 0.55 ( 0.08 - 1.04 ) . Gait speed was 2.6 m/min ( 0 
    Output:
    
Non-pharmacological interventions based on physiotherapy and occupational therapy techniques  improved activities of daily living amongst older stroke survivors .
However , no evidence was found to support use of any non-pharmacological approach to benefit older stroke survivors ' disability .