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Temporal gait variability is strongly associated with motor function and falls in the context of numerous diseases. Rhythmic auditory cueing (RAC) can influence stride-to-stride time, although its effects on temporal gait variability remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present cross-disease study was to examine the effects of RAC on stride time variability (STV), as well as the factors affecting changes in STV during walking with RAC. Participants with post-stroke (n = 12) and orthopedic disease (n = 23) performed a random block design under four conditions: comfortable walking speed (CWS) and walking with RAC (RAC 0%, RAC +10%, RAC -10%). STV was measured along with co-contraction and inter-muscular coherence of the shank muscles during walking for each condition. The contributions of the muscle activity pattern and voluntary control to the change in STV between the CWS and RAC 0% conditions were examined using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. STV was significantly lower in the RAC 0% condition than in the CWS condition (p = 0.03). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that the change in STV was explained by STV in the CWS condition (β = -0.36) and by changes in co-contraction (β = 0.43) and inter-muscular coherence (β = 0.38) during the stance phase between the CWS and RAC 0% conditions (R

To examine the relationship between temporal asymmetry and complexity of muscle synergy during walking using rhythmic auditory cueing (RAC) and the factors related to changes in muscle synergy during walking with RAC in survivors of stroke.Cross-sectional study.Wards at 2 medical corporation hospitals.Forty survivors of stroke (N=40; mean age, 70.4±10.3 years; time since stroke, 72.2±32.3 days) who could walk without physical assistance.Not applicable.The participants were assessed in a random block design under 2 conditions: comfortable walking speed (CWS) and walking with RAC. Single-leg support time, kinematics, and electromyograms were measured. Factors related to the complexity of muscle synergy (variance accounted for by 1 synergy [VAF1]) between the walking conditions were examined using hierarchical multiple regression analysis.In the RAC condition, lower limb flexion and knee flexion angles, single-leg support time on the paretic side, and the symmetry index of single-leg support time were increased compared with those in the CWS condition. VAF1 was decreased in the RAC condition (73.9±0.15) compared with that in the CWS condition (76.9±0.13,The RAC condition demonstrated a more complex representation of muscle synergy than the CWS condition; the change in single-leg support time on the paretic side related to the changes in muscle synergy more than changes in lower limb angle. These findings can help in the walking-training concept to improve muscle synergy deficits in survivors of stroke.