Influence of sensory integration training on sensory motor functions in patients with thalamic syndrome

Introduction
Thalamic stroke causes impairment in sensory motor functions; these changes in perception lead to pain and deteriorate postural stability. The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of sensory integration training on pain and posture stability in patients with thalamic syndrome.

Methods
Overall, 30 patients of both sexes, aged 45–65 years, diagnosed with a thalamic stroke were randomly allocated into 2 groups. The control group received selected sensory training of the conventional physical therapy program and the study group received sensory integration training with the Biodex Balance System beside the conventional physical therapy program.

Results
The intra-group comparisons with MANOVA revealed statistically insignificant differences in pain, as well as overall, anteroposterior (forward and backward), and mediolateral (right and left) limits of stability after the treatment in the control group (p-value of 0.180, 0.301, 0.792, 0.247, 0.381, and 0.847, respectively). In the study group, there was a statistically significant decrease in pain and improvement in overall, anteroposterior (forward and backward), and mediolateral (right and left) limits of stability after the treatment (p-value of 0.01 for pain and 0.000 for each of the 5 limit of stability variables, respectively). The inter-group comparisons showed statistically significant differences in favour of the study group (p = 0.000).

Conclusions
Adding the sensory integration training program was effective to decrease pain and improve posture stability in patients with thalamic syndrome.