Walking on the Moon: a Randomized Clinical Trial on the Role of Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill Training in Post-Stroke Gait Impairment

Publication date: Available online 19 September 2019Source: Journal of Advanced ResearchAuthor(s): Rocco Salvatore Calabrò, Luana Billeri, Veronica Agata Andronaco, Maria Accorinti, Demetrio Milardi, Antonino Cannavò, Enrico Aliberti, Angela Militi, Placido Bramanti, Antonino NaroAbstractBody weight–supported treadmill training (BWSTT) can be usefully employed to facilitate gait recovery in patients with neurological injuries. Specifically, lower body positive pressure support system (LBPPSS) decreases weight-bearing and ground reaction forces with potentially positive effects on qualitative gait indices. However, which gait features are being shaped by LBPPSS in post-stroke patients is yet poorly predictable. A pilot study on the effects of LBPPSS on qualitative and quantitative gait indices was carried out in patients with hemiparesis due to stroke in the chronic phase. Fifty patients, who suffered from a first, single, ischemic, supra-tentorial stroke that occurred at least 6 months before study inclusion, were enrolled in the study. They were provided with 24 daily sessions of gait training using either the AlterG device or conventional treadmill gait training (TGT). These patients were compared with 25 age-matched healthy controls (HC), who were provided with the same amount of AlterG. Qualitative and quantitative gait features, including Functional Ambulation Categories, gait cycle features, and muscle activation patterns were analyzed before and after the training....
Source: Journal of Advanced Research - Category: Research Source Type: research