Background: The main disability post-stroke is motor impairment, leading to a significant reduction in mobility. Therefore, post-stroke subjects become more inactive, contributing to their physical deconditioning and reduced exercise capacity. Task-specific training has several benefits for post-stroke subjects. However, most studies use tasks focused only in upper or lower limbs. Purpose: To investigate the effects of a task-specific training focused on upper and lower limbs, on mobility and exercise capacity of post-stroke subjects. Methods: Ethical commitment from Brazil approved the present study (1.373.837). A randomized controlled trial (NCT02937480) with blinded assessments were carried-out. Eligible participants were randomized to control (stretching, memory exercises, and health orientations) or experimental (task-specific training program) group. Thirty-six intervention sessions of 60-minutes, three times/week were offered. Mobility was assessed with the Timed-Up and Go test (TUG) and Test d’Évaluation des Membres Supérieurs de Personnes Agées (TEMPA). Exercise capacity was assessed with the Shuttle Walk Test (SWT). Baseline and postinter¬vention assessment were performed. Intent-to-treat analysis was performed. Descriptive statistics, Student's t-test and two-way ANOVA were used for analysis (α=5%). Results: Forty-five individuals participated in the study (control group: n=22;57±14 years, 41±48 months post-stroke; experimental group: n=23;58±16 years, 48±72 months post-stroke). There was interaction neither between-group differences (0.64≤p≤0.85). There was a significant within-group difference in TUG (TUG time decreased;p=0.017) and SWT (distance increased;p=0.043). Conclusion: Task-specific training focused on both upper and lower limbs did not demonstrate superior effects than stretching program on mobility and exercise capacity in post-stroke subjects. Both groups improved mobility and exercise capacity after intervention.

EFFICACY OF TASK-SPECIFIC TRAINING ON MOBILITY AND EXERCISE CAPACITY OF PEOPLE WITH STROKE: PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL