1. A body-weight-supported visual feedback system for gait recovering in stroke patients: A randomized controlled study
- Author
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Simone Carozzo, Antonio Cerasa, Sebastiano Serra, Paolo Tonin, Irene Ciancarelli, Mariaconcetta Bilotta, Loris Pignolo, Giuseppina Basta, and Maria Rosaria Todaro
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Randomization ,Sensor-feedback system ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Biophysics ,Body-weight-supported gait system ,Feedback ,law.invention ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Gait (human) ,Physical medicine and rehabilitation ,Gait training ,Randomized controlled trial ,Feedback, Sensory ,law ,Post-hoc analysis ,Humans ,Medicine ,Orthopedics and Sports Medicine ,Gait rehabilitation ,Gait Disorders, Neurologic ,Aged ,Balance (ability) ,visual feedback ,Rehabilitation ,business.industry ,Body Weight ,Stroke Rehabilitation ,030229 sport sciences ,Functional Independence Measure ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Stroke ,Treatment Outcome ,Female ,business ,Photic Stimulation ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Objective The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a novel body-weight-supported (BWS) gait training system with visual feedback, called Copernicus® (Rehalife, Italy). This computerized device provides comfortable, regular and repeatable locomotion in hemiplegic patients. Through visual real-time monitoring of gait parameters, patients are trained to transfer weight loading alternately on both feet. Design A single-blind, randomized controlled study. A single center used a computer-generated randomization code to allocate treatments. Setting Intensive rehabilitation unit (IRU) at the Institute S. Anna (Italy). Participants 63 first-ever stroke patients (39 men, age: 66.1 ± 9.6 years; 61.6 % with left-sided lesion) randomly distributed into three demographically/clinically matched groups. Treatments All groups were treated five times a week for 2 -h sessions for six consecutive weeks. The first group (“control”) underwent a conventional physical therapy; the second group performed advanced BWS gait training sessions without visual feedback (Experimental VF- group); whereas the third group used BWS with visual feedback stimulation (Experimental VF+ group). Main Outcome Measures Absolute changes were recorded using conventional clinical scales and kinematic measurement of static gait balance from baseline to follow-up. Results Significant interaction Group*Time effects scales (F2,126 = 5.1, p-level = 0.005, η²p = 0.25; F2,126 = 4.7, p-level = 0.007, η²p = 0.19; respectively) were detected in the Functional Independence Measure and Tinetti-Balance scales. Post hoc analysis demonstrated that the recovery of motor functioning was greater for the VF + group with respect to other groups (all p’s ≤ 0.001). A similar pattern of findings was also obtained with a stabilometric analysis, demonstrating a better clinical improvement in static balance after VF + treatment. Conclusion The proposed advanced rehabilitation system with visual feedback was more effective in improving gait recovery with respect to conventional and high-tech therapies without a sensor feedback. more...
- Published
- 2020
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