Prismatic Adaptation for Rehabilitation of Postural Imbalance After Stroke

Postural imbalance after stroke leads to limitations of activity and a worse autonomy. The postural imbalance is increased in right supratensorial stroke (RSS) compared to left supratensorial stroke. The evidences for the rehabilitation of postural imbalance are weak. Likewise, disorders of spatial reference frames are increased in RSS. The postural imbalance is correlated with the disorders of spatial reference frames in RSS patients. Prismatic adaptation (PA) is often used for the rehabilitation of unilateral spatial neglect after RSS. Several studies have demonstrated a peculiar expansion of sensorimotor after-effects to spatial cognition. An immediate effect of reduction in postural imbalance have been showed in acute RSS. Therefore, it is interested to investigate the immediate and delayed effects of PA on the postural balance and the spatial reference frames in chronic RSS to purpose a new therapeutic approach. The hypothesis of the study is that PA would improve the postural balance (activity) of chronic RSS patients by a reduction in mediolateral postural asymmetry, resulting from a " bottom-up " action of PA on spatial reference frames.