Effects of a Group Self Exercise Program on Quality of Life and Motor Functions After Stroke

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a group self exercise program in improving the quality of life regarding depression and the activities of daily living (ADL) of chronic stroke survivors, as well as the motor functions such as the 3 meter round walk, upper extremity function, and static balance. The subjects were 12 post-stroke ambulatory community center participants. All subjects participated in one 90 minute session per week for 7 weeks and received a home exercise program in every session. They had to record and submit an exercise check list. Quality of life was measured with the Beck depression inventory and the 8-Item Short-Form (SF-8). Motor functions were measured with the manual function test (MF'T), the kinesthetic ability trainer (KAT 3000), and the modified Barthel index. The level of depression decreased somewhat, but there were no significant differences after intervention. However, quality of life related health (SF-8) improved significant1y. There were significant improvements in the time for the 3 meter round walk, the functions of the affected upper extremities, and static balance and ADL (p