Adjustable Parameters and the Effectiveness of Adjunct Robot-Assisted Gait Training in Individuals with Chronic Stroke

Shih-Ching Chen, Jiunn-Horng Kang, Chih-Wei Peng, Chih-Chao Hsu, Yen-Nung Lin and Chien-Hung Lai
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Shih-Ching Chen: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
Jiunn-Horng Kang: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
Chih-Wei Peng: School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
Chih-Chao Hsu: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan
Yen-Nung Lin: Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
Chien-Hung Lai: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-16

Abstract: The aims of this study were (1) to compare the effect of robot-assisted gait orthosis (RAGO) plus conventional physiotherapy with the effect of conventional therapy alone on functional outcomes, including balance, walking ability, muscle strength, daily activity, and cognition, in chronic stroke patients, and (2) to determine the association of adjustable parameters of RAGO on functional outcomes. Adjustable parameters of RAGO included guidance force, treadmill speed, and body-weight support. This retrospective cohort study enrolled 32 patients with chronic stroke. Of these, 16 patients received RAGO plus conventional physiotherapy (RAGO group), and 16 patients received conventional physiotherapy alone (control group). Balance was assessed using the Berg Balance Scale, walking ability using the Functional Ambulation Category, muscle strength using the Motricity Index, daily activity using the Barthel Index, and cognition using the Mini-Mental State Examination. The scores were assessed before and after training. The Mini–Mental State Examination and the Berg Balance Scale increased significantly in both groups, whereas improvements in the Motricity Index and the Barthel Index were only observed in the RAGO group after intervention. During RAGO training, reducing guidance force and body-weight support assistance was associated with improvements in the Barthel Index, whereas higher treadmill walking speed was associated with improvements in the Berg Balance Scale. Our study found that RAGO combination therapy resulted in improvements in more functional outcomes than did conventional training alone. The adjustable parameters of the RAGO training were partly associated with training outcomes.

Keywords: stroke; robot-assisted gait orthosis; motricity index; Barthel Index; guidance force; body-weight support (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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