scholarly journals Computerized Visual Feedback: An Adjunct to Robotic-Assisted Gait Training

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (10) ◽  
pp. 1135-1145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Banz ◽  
Marc Bolliger ◽  
Gery Colombo ◽  
Volker Dietz ◽  
Lars Lünenburger
Keyword(s):  
Visual Feedback ◽  
Physical Therapist ◽  
Gait Training ◽  
Motor Output ◽  
Robotic Assisted ◽  
Verbal Instructions ◽  
Valuable Adjunct ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Robotic Devices ◽  
Learning Principles

Background and PurposeRobotic devices for walking rehabilitation allow new possibilities for providing performance-related information to patients during gait training. Based on motor learning principles, augmented feedback during robotic-assisted gait training might improve the rehabilitation process used to regain walking function. This report presents a method to provide visual feedback implemented in a driven gait orthosis (DGO). The purpose of the study was to compare the immediate effect on motor output in subjects during robotic-assisted gait training when they used computerized visual feedback and when they followed verbal instructions of a physical therapist.SubjectsTwelve people with neurological gait disorders due to incomplete spinal cord injury participated.MethodsSubjects were instructed to walk within the DGO in 2 different conditions. They were asked to increase their motor output by following the instructions of a therapist and by observing visual feedback. In addition, the subjects’ opinions about using visual feedback were investigated by a questionnaire.ResultsComputerized visual feedback and verbal instructions by the therapist were observed to result in a similar change in motor output in subjects when walking within the DGO. Subjects reported that they were more motivated and concentrated on their movements when using computerized visual feedback compared with when no form of feedback was provided.Discussion and ConclusionComputerized visual feedback is a valuable adjunct to robotic-assisted gait training. It represents a relevant tool to increase patients’ motor output, involvement, and motivation during gait training, similar to verbal instructions by a therapist.

scholarly journals Effect of two different programs of robotic assisted gait training in individuals with chronic motor incomplete spinal cord injury

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 ◽  
pp. e242
Author(s):  
J. Quinzaños-Fresnedo ◽  
L.F. Apodaca-García López ◽  
A.V. Aguirre-Güemez ◽  
I. Quiñones-Urióstegui ◽  
A.I. Pérez-Sanpablo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Gait Training ◽  
Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Robotic Assisted ◽  
Cord Injury

scholarly journals Safety and Feasibility of a Novel Gait Training Device Using a “Spacesuit” to Support Body Weight

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Brenteson ◽  
John Hauck ◽  
Bruce Wigness ◽  
Doug Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Perceived Exertion ◽  
Physical Therapist ◽  
Gait Training ◽  
Air Pressure ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
Physical Burden ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Gait Trainer ◽  
Support Body Weight

In the U.S. alone, 7.5 million individuals have survived stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury, and over a million new patients are diagnosed every year [1]. Most of these patients will need gait rehabilitation. Body weight supported gait training is a widely used rehabilitation therapy to improve gait function [2]. Commonly, a physical therapist provides assistance using a gait belt to support the patient. Sometimes two or three therapists may be needed for severely impaired patients. Bodyweight supported treadmill training uses a harness attached to an overhead lift to support body weight [2], however harness systems often cause discomfort and may take significant time to set up and take down. Lite Run Corporation has developed a system for the treatment of patients with gait and balance difficulties that uses differential air pressure inside a specially designed suit to reduce up to 50 percent of a patient’s body weight. The suit facilitates patient ambulation using technology like that in astronaut spacesuits to achieve comfort and flexibility. Potential benefits include longer therapy sessions due to greater comfort and greater unweighting, as well as the therapeutic benefits of being upright and walking for subjects unable to stand independently. The suit is used in conjunction with the Gait Trainer device shown in Figure 1 which provides air pressure to the suit and support for the patient. Gait Trainer features include: 1) electro-mechanical and pneumatic controls to support the suit and patient when rising from sitting to standing and ambulating during therapy — so that a single therapist can safely transfer a patient from a wheelchair and practice gait therapy; 2) an open design that permits access to patient’s body and legs by the therapist; 3) a compact profile that provides easy maneuverability; 4) a “base spread” function that permits positioning close to a patient when seated in wheel chair, bed or therapy table. Together these features provide safety and stability for the patient and reduced physical burden on the therapist. The objectives for the current study were to establish the safety and feasibility of the Gait Trainer, validate user design requirements, and to test the hypothesis that the rate of perceived exertion when using the device is significantly less than during unaided walking therapy.

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