OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effects of mechanical horseback riding for gait and balance parameters in post-stroke patients. METHOD: This study was a non randomized prospective positive-controlled trial over a 12 week period. From May 2011 to October 2011, 37 stroke patients were recruited from our outpatient clinic and divided into two groups. The control group received the conventional physiotherapy while the intervention group received the conventional physiotherapy along with mechanical horseback riding therapy for 12 weeks. Outcome measurements of gait included the Functional Ambulation Category (FAC) and gait part of the Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (G-POMA) while those of balance included the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the balance part of the Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (B-POMA). These measurements were taken before and after treatment. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics and initial values between the two groups. When comparing baseline and 12 weeks post treatment in each group, the intervention group showed significant improvement on BBS (39.9+/-5.7 --> 45.7+/-4.8, p=0.001) and B-POMA (10.4+/-2.6 --> 12.6+/-2.1, p=0.001), but significant improvement on gait parameters. When comparing the groups, the dynamic balance category of BBS in post treatment showed significant difference (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that mechanical horseback riding therapy may be an effective treatment tool for enhancing balance in adults with stroke.
Adult ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Equine-Assisted Therapy ; Gait ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Stroke

Miller-Dieker Syndrome (MDS) is a contiguous gene deletion syndrome of chromosome 17p13.3, characterized by classical lissencephaly (lissencephaly type 1) and distinct facial features. Children with MDS present with severe developmental delay, epilepsy and feeding problems. The lissencephaly represents the severe end of the spectrum with generalized agyria, or agyria and some frontal pachy- gyria. Prenatal diagnosis is available and consists of fetal chromosomal analysis by karyotyping or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), on chorion villus sampling or amniocentesis. Sonographic diagnosis in general cannot be accomplished earlier than late second trimester, when the characteristic cerebral anomalies can be noted. The progressive microcephaly and failure of development of both sulci and gyri are suggestive of lissencephaly. We report the case of a pregnant woman of 24 weeks gestation who presented with ventriculomegaly on antenatal sonography and hydrocephalus, and corpus callosum agenesis on fetal MRI, which was diagnosed as MDS by karyotyping and FISH on amniocentesis.
Agenesis of Corpus Callosum ; Amniocentesis ; Child ; Chorion ; Classical Lissencephalies and Subcortical Band Heterotopias* ; Diagnosis ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Fluorescence ; Gene Deletion ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; In Situ Hybridization ; Karyotyping ; Lissencephaly ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Microcephaly ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second ; Pregnant Women ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Ultrasonography