title: Effects of robot assisted gait training in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP): a preliminary report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare neurodegenerative disease clinically characterized by prominent axial extrapyramidal motor symptoms with frequent falls. Over the last years the introduction of robotic technologies to recover lower limb function has been greatly employed in the rehabilitative practice. This observational trial is aimed at investigating the changes in the main spatiotemporal following end-effector robot training in people with PSP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pilot observational trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five cognitively intact participants with PSP and gait disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were submitted to a rehabilitative program of robot-assisted walking sessions for 45 min, 5 times a week for 4 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  The spatiotemporal parameters at the beginning (T0) and at the end of treatment (T1) were recorded by a gait analysis laboratory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Robot training was feasible, acceptable and safe and all participants completed the prescribed training sessions. All patients showed an improvement in the gait spatiotemporal index (Mean velocity, Cadence, Step length, and Step width) (T0 vs. T1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Robot training is a feasible and safe form of rehabilitation for cognitively intact people with PSP. The lack of side effects and the positive results in the gait parameter index in all patients support the recommendation to extend the trials of this treatment. Further investigation regarding the effectiveness of robot training in time is necessary.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01668407.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sale
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stocchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Galafate
authors.affiliation: San Raffaele Cassino Cassino, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Francesca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: De Pandis
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Le Pera
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sova
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana Rome, Italy ; Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria-Politecnico di Milano Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: Physical Rehabilitation Medicine Chair, Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine DPT, Tor Vergata University Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Calogero
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franceschini
keywords: PSP; gait analysis; lower limb; progressive supranuclear palsy; robot