Efficiency of Leg Exoskeleton Use in Rehabilitation of Cerebral Stroke Patients

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of functional and motor activity restoration, including the walking function, in patients after an ischemic stroke using the ExoAtlet lower limb exoskeleton. Patients and methods. A clinical study was carried out on 42 patients who had undergone a cerebral infarction in the mid cerebral artery system with a post-stroke paresis of the leg, and who had undergone a rehabilitation course in a round-theclock hospital during the early recovery period. Patients were randomized into two equal groups comparable in terms of the stroke severity: the patients in group 1 were receiving a standard rehabilitation program (control group), the patients in group 2 were additionally receiving a course of gait rehabilitation using the ExoAtlet exoskeleton - 10 sessions, 5 sessions per week for 14 days. Results. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of the ExoAtlet exoskeleton used in the rehabilitation of stroke patients over the standard course of rehabilitation. The advantages include a decrease in the hemiparesis degree, an increase in the muscle strength of the paretic limb, an improvement in balance, an improvement and acceleration of the walking process. The obtained results of the instrumental study confirmed the benefits of physical training on the Exoskeleton, which was demonstrated through an increase in stability and balance, as well as through a decrease in the energy consumption index for maintaining the stable verticalization. Conclusion. The usage of the ExoAtlet exoskeleton increases the effectiveness of rehabilitation measures and improves motor and functional activities of patients who have suffered a cerebral stroke.

Efficacy of Overground Robotic Gait Training on Balance in Stroke Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…All the included studies were published between 2015 and 2021. The studies were conducted in various countries: two in Japan [ 24 , 25 ], two in Russia [ 26 , 27 ] and one in Italy [ 28 ], Sweden [ 29 ], Poland [ 30 ], Canada [ 31 ] and Spain [ 32 ].…”

“…The included studies were mainly RCTs, of which there were six out of nine [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. Moreover, two pilot studies [ 24 , 32 ] and one case-report study [ 25 ] were included.…”

“…A total of four RCTs [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ] were classified with good quality scores. The D&B tool score of a pilot study [ 32 ] indicates poor quality, whereas the remaining four studies [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ] had moderate scores. D&B tool scores were reported in descending order in Table 1 .…”

“…A total of 273 participants was included from all the studies, of whom 133 were males and 74 were females. Data on the gender of 42 participants recruited in one study [ 27 ] and 24 participants who dropped out were not available. The average age of the participants was classified according to various age ranges: seven studies [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 29 , 31 , 32 ] focused on participants in the range of 45–64 years, while the remaining two studies [ 28 , 30 ] recruited participants older than 65 years of age.…”

“…Data on the gender of 42 participants recruited in one study [ 27 ] and 24 participants who dropped out were not available. The average age of the participants was classified according to various age ranges: seven studies [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 29 , 31 , 32 ] focused on participants in the range of 45–64 years, while the remaining two studies [ 28 , 30 ] recruited participants older than 65 years of age. Based on the time elapsed since the stroke, five studies [ 24 , 26 , 27 , 29 , 31 ] focused on individuals in the subacute phase of recovery, whereas three studies [ 25 , 28 , 32 ] observed the efficacy of o-RAGT in individuals in the chronic phase of recovery.…”