http://nnr.sagepub.com/content/26/4/318.abstract?etoc
Abstract
Background. Robot-assisted gait training
has the potential to improve cardiopulmonary fitness after stroke, even
for patients who are
in the early stages of recovery and not independent
ambulators. The authors compared the effects of robot-assisted gait
training
and conventional physical therapy on
cardiopulmonary fitness. Methods. A prospective single-blinded,
randomized controlled study of 37 patients receiving inpatient
rehabilitation was performed
within 1 month after stroke onset. The
robot-assisted gait training group (n = 20) received 40 minutes of gait
training with
Lokomat and 60 minutes of conventional physical
therapy each day, whereas the control group (n = 17) received 100
minutes
of conventional physical therapy daily. Using a
semirecumbent cycle ergometer, changes in cardiopulmonary fitness were
investigated
using incremental exercise testing. Motor and gait
functional recovery was measured according to changes in the
lower-extremity
score of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale (FMA-L),
leg score of the Motricity Index (MI-L), and the Functional Ambulation
Category
(FAC). Results. Compared with the control group, the robot group showed 12.8% improvement in peak VO2 after training (P < .05). Compared with the control group, the robot group also improved in FMA-L score (P < .05). Conclusion. Patients can be trained to increase their VO2
and lower-extremity strength using a robotic device for stepping during
inpatient rehabilitation. This training has the potential
to improve cardiopulmonary fitness in patients who
are not yet independent ambulators, but that may require more than 2
weeks
of continued, progressive training.
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