1. One-Leg Robotic-Assisted Gait Training Efficiently Improves Gait Independence for Acute Stroke Hemiplegic Patients: A Prospective Pilot Study.
- Author
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Norikazu Hishikawa, Koshiro Sawada, Hiroshi Maeda, Takumi Ikeda, Suzuyo Ohashi, and Yasuo Mikami
- Subjects
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PHYSICAL therapy , *DATA analysis , *RESEARCH funding , *HEMIPLEGIA , *CLINICAL trials , *PILOT projects , *FUNCTIONAL assessment , *GAIT disorders , *TREATMENT effectiveness , *DIAGNOSIS , *GAIT in humans , *TREATMENT duration , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *FUNCTIONAL status , *ROBOTIC exoskeletons , *LONGITUDINAL method , *WALKING , *STROKE rehabilitation , *ROBOTICS , *STATISTICS , *DATA analysis software , *EVALUATION - Abstract
Welwalk is a one-leg robotic-assisted gait system for stroke hemiplegic patients. This study examined the feasibility and efficacy of gait training using Welwalk (Welwalk training) for hemiplegic patients in the early phase after stroke onset, via cooperation between acute care and rehabilitation hospitals. Seven acute stroke patients (mean number of days fromonset = 7.9) with severe lower extremity paralysis participated. Patients underwent Welwalk training for 40 min/d, 5 d/wk in an acute care hospital, then 7 d/wk in a rehabilitation hospital with a seamless transition. Functional IndependenceMeasure scores for walking were assessed weekly. The endpoint was reaching Functional Independence Measurewalk score of 5 (supervision level). The primary outcomewas improvement efficiency of Functional IndependenceMeasure walk, which was the increase in Functional IndependenceMeasure walk score divided by the number of weeks required. Functional Independence Measure walk score for all patients improved from 1.1 to 5 (P = 0.01, r = 0.96). The mean number of weeks to achieve Functional Independence Measure walk score of 5 was 5 wks, and the improvement efficiency of Functional Independence Measure walk had a mean value of 0.9. No adverse events were reported duringWelwalk training. Hemiparetic patients' gait independence may be safely and rapidly improved by startingWelwalk training in the early phase after stroke onset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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