Clinical efficacy of overground powered exoskeleton for gait training in patients with subacute stroke: A randomized controlled pilot trial

Background:To investigate the efficacy and usefulness of 12 sessions of overground robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) in subacute stroke patients. Methods:In this pilot study, 17 subacute stroke survivors were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 9) and control (n = 8) groups. In addition to the conventional stroke neurorehabilitation program, the intervention group received 30 minutes of overground exoskeletal RAGT, while the control group received 30 minutes of conventional gait training by a physiotherapist. All interventions were performed in 12 sessions (3 times/week for 4 weeks). The primary aim was to assess ambulation ability using the functional ambulation category (FAC). The 10-m walk test, Berg Balance Scale, timed-up-and-go Timed-up-and-go, Fugl-Meyer assessment of lower extremity, pulmonary function test, the Korean version of the modified Barthel index, and Euro quality of life-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) were assessed. All outcomes were evaluated both before and after the intervention. Results:The Berg Balance Scale, Korean version of the modified Barthel index, and EQ-5D scores (P < .05) improved significantly in both groups. Only those in the RAGT group improved significantly in the FAC, timed-up-and-go, and 10-m walk test (P < .05). In the FAC and EQ-5D, the intervention group showed greater improvement than the control group (P < .05). Conclusion:We found that 4 weeks of overground RAGT combined with conventional training may improve walking independence and quality of life in patients with subacute stroke.

Automated summary

This study investigated the efficacy and usefulness of 12 sessions of overground robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) in subacute stroke patients. The results showed that overground exoskeletal RAGT can significantly improve walking ability and quality of life in patients compared to conventional gait training.