title: Robotic gait rehabilitation and substitution devices in neurological disorders: where are we now?
abstract: Gait abnormalities following neurological disorders are often disabling, negatively affecting patients' quality of life. Therefore, regaining of walking is considered one of the primary objectives of the rehabilitation process. To overcome problems related to conventional physical therapy, in the last years there has been an intense technological development of robotic devices, and robotic rehabilitation has proved to play a major role in improving one's ability to walk. The robotic rehabilitation systems can be classified into stationary and overground walking systems, and several studies have demonstrated their usefulness in patients after severe acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury and other neurological diseases, including Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy. In this review, we want to highlight which are the most widely used devices today for gait neurological rehabilitation, focusing on their functioning, effectiveness and challenges. Novel and promising rehabilitation tools, including the use of virtual reality, are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124, Messina, Italy. salbro77@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Rocco Salvatore
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Calabrò
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124, Messina, Italy.|Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cacciola
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bertè
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manuli
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leo
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bramanti
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naro
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124, Messina, Italy.|Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Demetrio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milardi
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino Pulejo", S.S. 113, Via Palermo, C.da Casazza, 98124, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Placido
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bramanti
mesh_terms: D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*
keywords: Lokomat; Robotic rehabilitation; Severe acquired brain injury; Spinal cord injury; Stroke