Efficacy of Overground Robotic Gait Training on Balance in Stroke Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Strokes often lead to a deficit in motor control that contributes to a reduced balance function. Impairments in the balance function severely limit the activities of daily living (ADL) in stroke survivors. The present systematic review and meta-analysis primarily aims to explore the efficacy of overground robot-assisted gait training (o-RAGT) on balance recovery in individuals with stroke. In addition, the efficacy on ADL is also investigated. This systematic review identified nine articles investigating the effects of o-RAGT on balance, four of which also assessed ADL. The results of the meta-analysis suggest that o-RAGT does not increase balance and ADL outcomes more than conventional therapy in individuals after stroke. The data should not be overestimated due to the low number of studies included in the meta-analysis and the wide confidence intervals. Subgroup analyses to investigate the influence of participant's characteristics and training dosage were not performed due to lack of data availability. Further well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to investigate the efficacy of o-RAGT on balance in individuals with stroke.

Automated summary

Stroke often leads to motor control deficits, which in turn affect balance function and severely limit the activities of daily living for stroke survivors. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the efficacy of overground robot-assisted gait training (o-RAGT) in balance recovery for individuals with stroke and investigate its effects on activities of daily living. The results suggest that o-RAGT does not provide better balance and activities of daily living outcomes compared to conventional therapy. Further well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to investigate the efficacy of o-RAGT in balance for individuals with stroke.