title: Robot-assisted balance training for gait modification.
abstract: Diminished balance control while walking is a main concern for people with stroke. An appropriate training method would help improve their balance during walking. In this study, we examined if a novel robot-assisted balance training (RABT) program could change human gait patterns. Five healthy individuals underwent a RABT program with either stepping or standing movements. An external perturbation using a force field was applied to the lower trunk to alter weight distribution patterns during training. The results showed that people who had a RABT with stepping movements demonstrated a greater change in gait patterns compared to those who had the RABT with standing movements. This suggests that the RABT program with stepping movements can be used as a rehabilitation approach to facilitate an adaptation of a new balance control pattern in human beings.
authors.forename: Seok Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyle B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D004856:Postural Balance; D012371:Robotics; D016138:Walking