Efficacy of rehabilitation robotics for walking training in neurological disorders: A review

Robotic technologies are becoming more prevalent for treating neurological conditions in clinical settings. We conducted a literature search of original articles to identify all studies that examined the use of robotic devices for restoring walking function in adults with neurological disorders. We...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of rehabilitation research and development Vol. 48; no. 4; p. 387
Main Authors Tefertiller, Candace, Pharo, Beth, Evans, Nicholas, Winchester, Patricia
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Department of Veterans Affairs 01.01.2011
Superintendent of Documents
Subjects
Care and treatment
Data collection
Diagnosis
Gait Disorders, Neurologic - etiology
Gait Disorders, Neurologic - rehabilitation
Health aspects
Human subjects
Humans
Injuries
Kinematics
Nervous system diseases
Neurological disorders
Physical therapy
Physiological aspects
Robotics
Robots
Therapeutics, Physiological
Therapists
Treatment Outcome
Walking
United States
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Robotic technologies are becoming more prevalent for treating neurological conditions in clinical settings. We conducted a literature search of original articles to identify all studies that examined the use of robotic devices for restoring walking function in adults with neurological disorders. We evaluated and rated each study using either the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or the Downs and Black scale for non-RCTs. We reviewed 30 articles (14 RCTs, 16 non-RCTs) that examined the effects of locomotor training with robotic assistance in patients following stroke, spinal cord injury (SCI), multiple sclerosis (MS), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and Parkinson disease (PD). This review supports that locomotor training with robotic assistance is beneficial for improving walking function in individuals following a stroke and SCI. Gait speed and endurance were not found to be significantly different among patients with motor incomplete SCI after a variety of locomotor training approaches. Limited evidence demonstrates that locomotor training with robotic assistance is beneficial in populations of patients with MS, TBI, or PD. We discuss clinical implications and decision making in the area of gait rehabilitation for neurological dysfunction.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 14
ObjectType-Article-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
ObjectType-Review-3
content type line 23
ISSN:0748-7711
1938-1352
1938-1352
DOI:10.1682/JRRD.2010.04.0055