Gait training with a powered exoskeleton improve gait coordination in acute stroke patients

Abstract

Stroke is a leading cause of acquired disability in adults Despite rehabilitation, some patients cannot achieve a functional motor recovery The Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) robot is an exoskeleton able to support and enhance the lower extremities performance of patients using their own bioelectrical signals We think HAL may help acute stroke patients achieve an adequate motor recovery. Eight hemiparetic patients underwent 9 sessions of HAL A motion capture system (VICON MX, 100 Hz) was used to record segmental kinematics regarding the elevation angles described for the thigh, shank and foot before the first and after the last session Data from 9 healthy volunteers was used for comparison. Reduction of the percentage of variance was observed for the paretic (par) side of patients reaching similar levels to healthy (h) volunteers (P-value: pre-par Vs post-par: 0.039, pre-par Vs h: 0.018, post-par Vs h: 0.49) Tendency of recovery for the non-paretic side also was observed but was still significantly different from healthy group after HAL ( P -value < 0.01) HAL improved significantly the planarity of coordination in hemiparetic acute stroke patients This novel intervention offers a new approach to improve motor recovery in this population.