Hybrid Assistive Limb® for sporadic inclusion body myositis: A case series

• Published in: Journal of clinical neuroscience Vol. 81; pp. 92 - 94
• Main Authors: Suzuki, Naoki, Soga, Temma, Izumi, Rumiko, Toyoshima, Masaya, Shibasaki, Miwako, Sato, Itsumi, Kudo, Yu, Aoki, Masashi, Kato, Masaaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Scotland Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2020
• Subjects: 6m walking speed; Aged; Exercise Therapy - instrumentation; Exercise Therapy - methods; Exoskeleton Device; Female; Gait training; Humans; Hybrid Assistive Limb; Male; Middle Aged; Myositis, Inclusion Body - diagnosis; Myositis, Inclusion Body - rehabilitation; Robotics - instrumentation; Robotics - methods; Sporadic inclusion body myositis; Two-minute walking distance; Walking - physiology; Sporadic inclusion body myositis; Gait training; Hybrid Assistive Limb; Two-minute walking distance; 6m walking speed
• ISSN: 0967-5868; 1532-2653
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2020.09.031

•Evaluated the efficacy of Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) in three patients with sIBM.•HAL therapy improved ambulation with reducing exercise load and increasing safety.•We should consider to discontinue at the advanced stage with increased falling risk. We evaluated the efficacy of rehabilitation therapy with Hybrid Assistive Limb® (HAL; hereafter HAL therapy) in three patients diagnosed with sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) who were hospitalized to undergo HAL therapy. Among them, one patient participated in eight courses and the other two in two courses of HAL therapy between 2017 and 2020. We determined the mean rate of improvement in two-minute walking distance and 6 m walking speed at the time of hospital discharge. After HAL therapy, we confirmed the patients’ desire to continue the use of HAL. In one patient, we observed improvements of 146.0% and 120.0% in two-minute walk and 6 m walking speed, respectively, after the first course of HAL therapy; these values are 133.7% and 130% after the eighth course of HAL therapy. These values exceeded 90% in the other two patients after the second course of HAL therapy. HAL therapy maintained both quantity and quality of ambulation and showed positive psychological effects on patient conditions because it reduces exercise load and facilitates safety. While HAL therapy might be effective in maintaining and improving ambulation in patients with sIBM, we should consider to discontinue HAL therapy as it increased risk of falling.