Effects of robot-(Morning Walk ® ) assisted gait training for patients after stroke: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE:: To investigate the effects of Morning Walk® -assisted gait training for patients with stroke.

DESIGN:: Prospective randomized controlled trial.

SETTING:: Three hospital rehabilitation departments (two tertiary and one secondary).

PATIENTS:: We enrolled 58 patients with hemiparesis following a first-time stroke within the preceding year and with Functional Ambulation Category scores ⩾2.

INTERVENTION:: The patients were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: 30 minutes of training with Morning Walk® , a lower limb rehabilitation robot, plus 1 hour of conventional physiotherapy (Morning Walk® group; n = 28); or 1.5 hour of conventional physiotherapy (control group; n = 30). All received treatment five times per week for three weeks.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS:: The primary outcomes were walking ability, assessed using the Functional Ambulation Category scale, and lower limb function, assessed using the Motricity Index-Lower. Secondary outcomes included the 10 Meter Walk Test, Modified Barthel Index, Rivermead Mobility Index, and Berg Balance Scale scores.

RESULTS:: A total of 10 patients were lost to follow-up, leaving a cohort of 48 for the final analyses. After training, all outcome measures significantly improved in both groups. In Motricity Index-Lower of the affected limb, the Morning Walk® group (∆mean ± SD; 19.68 ± 14.06) showed greater improvement ( p = .034) than the control group (∆mean ± SD; 11.70 ± 10.65). And Berg Balance Scale scores improved more ( p = .047) in the Morning Walk® group (∆mean ± SD; 14.36 ± 9.01) than the control group (∆mean ± SD; 9.65 ± 8.14).

CONCLUSION:: Compared with conventional physiotherapy alone, our results suggest that voluntary strength and balance of stroke patients with hemiparesis might be improved with Morning Walk® -assisted gait training combined with conventional physiotherapy.