title: Robot-assisted gait training for patients with hemiparesis due to stroke.
abstract: Robot-assisted devices are becoming a popular alternative to manual facilitation in stroke rehabilitation. These devices have the potential to reduce therapist burden and treatment costs; however, their effectiveness in terms of functional recovery remains in question. This pilot study compared the outcomes of a stroke rehabilitation program that incorporates robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) with a more traditional therapy program that does not. Twenty hemiparetic stroke patients were recruited at a rehabilitation hospital in Houston, Texas, and were randomly assigned to 2 groups. The control group (n = 10) received 24 1-hour sessions of conventional physical therapy, whereas the RAGT group (n = 10) received 24 1-hour sessions of conventional physical therapy combined with RAGT on a treadmill. Gait function was assessed before and after treatment by an 8-m walk test, a 3-minute walk test, and the Tinetti balance assessment. Both groups showed significant improvement in all 3 outcome measures following treatment (P < .05), but there was no difference between groups. It is concluded that RAGT may provide improvements in balance and gait comparable with conventional physical therapy. A larger multicenter trial is required to investigate the effectiveness of RAGT in hemiparetic stroke.
authors.affiliation: Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: T Adam
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Thrasher
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010291:Paresis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D004856:Postural Balance; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult