Impact of motor therapy with dynamic body-weight support on Functional Independence Measures in traumatic brain injury: An exploratory study.

The study included only six patients in each group, making the results highly susceptible to individual variation and chance. The comparison was retrospective, using historical controls from a different time period, which introduces potential confounding factors related to changes in care over time. Patients were not randomized, and therapists selected activities based on clinical judgment, leading to heterogeneous interventions that were not standardized or monitored for intensity. The study did not use specific cognitive or motor outcome measures beyond the Functional Independence Measure, limiting the ability to detect specific changes in attention, memory, or gait mechanics. Follow-up was only until discharge, so long-term community reintegration or sustained benefits are unknown.

The study was funded by the Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital Endowed Chair in Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation and the HealthSouth Therapy Grant. The authors declared no financial benefits or conflicts of interest.

Do not interpret the significant improvement in Functional Independence Measure scores as proof that dynamic body-weight support causes better outcomes than standard care. The study was a very small, retrospective comparison with non-randomized, heterogeneous therapy sessions, so the difference could be due to factors other than the device.