1. Introduction
stroke, death, disability, Stroke
STROKE, STROKE
(1) Background: Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability. To identify the best treatment strategies for people with stroke (PwS), the aim of the current study was to compare the effects of training on a treadmill with functional electrical stimulation (TT-FES) with training on a treadmill (TT), and to analyze the effects of sequence of training on mobility and the parameters of walking ability. (2) Methods: Prospective, longitudinal, randomized and crossover study, in which 28 PwS were distributed into groups, namely the A-B Group (TT-FES followed by TT) and B-A Group (TT followed by TT-FES), using the foot drop stimulator, and were measured with functional tests. (3) Results: We found improved mobility, balance, non-paretic limb coordination, and endurance only in the group that started with TT-FES. However, sensorimotor function improved regardless of the order of training, and paretic limb coordination only improved in the B-A Group, but after TT-FES. These data indicate that the order of the protocols changed the results. (4) Conclusions: Although biomechanical evaluation methods were not used, which can be considered a limitation, our results showed that TT-FES was superior to isolated training on a treadmill with regard to balance, endurance capacity, and coordination of the non-paretic limb.Stroke is one of the main causes of death and disability in adults worldwide [However, repetitive motor activity alone, such as treadmill training, may not be sufficient to produce representational plasticity in cortical motor maps [FES is a promising therapy to facilitate neural mechanisms and provide motor recovery [In this sense, a recent possibility for providing FES for lower limbs in PwS is the use of a foot drop stimulator. This equipment can be used throughout the day when walking in the community to promote greater quality of movement during gait. The device provides a tilt sensor and accelerometer that induce ankle dorsiflexion during gait, improving range of motion, muscle strength, and gait pattern [Considering the above, we organized a protocol to compare the effects of treadmill training with FES (TT-FES) and treadmill training in isolation (TT). Therefore, we verified the influence of sequence of training (i.e., one group started using TT-FES and changed to TT, and the other group practices the opposite sequence) on mobility and important parameters of walking ability (e.g., sensorimotor function, balance, limb coordination, and endurance) in PwS.We hypothesized that both kinds of training would improve mobility and walking ability, but that TT-FES would have a large effect compared with TT. In addition, training first with the sequence of training with the TT-FES would positively influence the subsequent practice (with treadmill training only).