Abstract: Objective To observe the effect of rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) on gait of stroke hemiplegic patients. Methods From April, 2014 to April, 2015, eleven stroke hemiplegic patients were divided into RAS group (n=6) and control group (n=5) randomly. Both groups accepted routine rehabilitation, and the RAS group accepted RAS walking exercise, while the control group accepted verbal instructed walking exercise. They were tested with Brunnstrom's Stage and gait analysis before and three weeks after training. Results There was no significant increase in Brunnstrom's Stage (Z<1.414, P>0.05) in both groups after training. The RAS group increased in stride length, velocity and cadence (t>4.829, P<0.01) after training, and improved in temporal symmetry (t=3.323, P<0.05), while there was no significant change in all of the indices in the control group (t<1.765, P>0.05). Conclusion Walking exercise under RAS facilitates to improve gait in stroke hemiplegic patients.

Key words: stroke, rhythmic auditory stimulation, gait, symmetry