Walking Speed at the Acute and Subacute Stroke Stage: A Descriptive Meta-Analysis.

Gait disorders are one of the leading patient complaints at the sub-acute stroke stage (SSS) and a main determinant of disability. Walking speed (WS) is a major vital and functional index, and the Ten-Meter Walk Test is considered the gold standard after stroke. Based on a systematic review of the literature, studies published between January 2000 and November 2021 were selected when WS was reported (ten-meter walk test for short distance and/or 6-min walking distance for long distance) within 6 months following a first ischemic and/or hemorrhagic stroke (SSS) in adults prior to receiving specific walking rehabilitation. Following PRISMA guidelines, a meta-analysis was conducted on two kinds of WS: the principal criterion focused on short-distance WS (ten-meter walking test) and the secondary criteria focused on long-distance WS (6-min test) and meta-regressions to study the association of WS with balance, cognitive disorders and autonomy. Nine studies comprising a total of 939 data on post-stroke patients were selected. The weighted average age was 61 years [95% IC [55-67] and males represented 62% ± 2.7 of patients [57-67]. Average short-distance WS was 0.36 ± 0.06 m.s(-1) [95% CI (0.23-0.49)]. Average long-distance WS was 0.46 ± 0.1 m.s(-1) [95% CI (0.26-0.66)]. The funnel plot revealed asymmetry of publication bias and high heterogeneity of the nine studies (I (2) index 98.7% and Q-test p