Gait improvement in stroke patients by Gait Exercise Assist Robot training is related to trunk verticality.
Keita Aimoto, Takayuki Matsui, Yusuke Asai and 5 others
PMID 36337216WHAT IT FOUND
Stroke patients with a Verticality of SIAS score of 1 or higher were more likely to walk independently after GEAR training.
Patients scoring 0 may need trunk control work before robot walking.
Key findings
01Verticality of SIAS scores were significantly higher in patients who could walk unassisted compared to those who needed assistance.
02A Verticality of SIAS score of 1 was identified as the cut-off value predictive of walking independence.
03The study suggests that patients with a Verticality of SIAS score of 0 should focus on basic activities like rolling and transfers rather than GEAR walking training.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Small sample size of only 16 participants. Single-center study. Exploratory design with no multivariate analysis. Only five SIAS items were evaluated, so other factors might be more predictive. Patients received concurrent physical, occupational, and speech therapy, so the specific effect of GEAR alone cannot be isolated.
Declared interests
Funded by research funding for longevity sciences from the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology. Authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume GEAR training itself caused the walking recovery. All patients received concurrent physical, occupational, and speech therapy, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated.