Impaired walking function in patients with brain tumors and dynamics of its recovery in the early postoperative period

Background. Brain tumors (BT) are one of the most pressing problems in modern neurosurgery. Surgical treatment of BT is the most successful method. In the early postoperative period, patients have neurological and functional deficits. Lack of walking function reduces the quality of life of patients, independence, and increases the risk of falls. Rehabilitation activities of the multidisciplinary team in the postoperative period are aimed at improving the functioning of the patient.

Aim. To study the functional and clinical components of walking function in patients with a brain tumor in the early postoperative period.

Materials and methods. Ten patients with BT underwent postoperative early rehabilitation. Before and after the operation, after rehabilitation treatment, the diagnosis of walking function was performed using a complex of motion analysis and evaluation according to clinical scales.

Results. An improvement has been achieved on the Bartel and Rivermead clinical scales in the form of independence and independence. Tests responsible for walking safety demonstrated an improvement in performance from a high risk of falling after surgery to safe walking after rehabilitation. Objective diagnosis of walking function showed that the main parameters demonstrate a syndrome complex characteristic of slow walking. A functional phenomenon specific to the examined group was found – excessive muscle activity at a significantly lower walking speed.

Conclusion. Assessment of the pre- and postoperative functional state of patients’ walking is important from the point of view of building a patient’s treatment strategy and selecting an individual medical rehabilitation program. The use of clinical scales and objective diagnostics makes it possible to detect hidden motor deficits. Examination and rehabilitation eliminate the high postoperative risk of falls.

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