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A Rehabilitation Program of Exoskeleton-assisted Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Training with Non-immersive Virtual Reality for Stroke Patients
Published on: May 16, 2025
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Treadmill training and body weight support for walking after stroke.
Jan Mehrholz1, Simone Thomas, Bernhard Elsner
1Department of Public Health, Dresden Medical School, Technical University Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, Dresden, Germany, 01307.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|August 18, 2017
Summary
Treadmill training after stroke does not improve independent walking but may enhance short-term walking speed and endurance, particularly for those already able to walk. Further research is needed to optimize this rehabilitation method.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Treadmill training, with or without body weight support, is a common rehabilitation technique for improving walking post-stroke.
- This Cochrane review is an update of previous versions published in 2003, 2005, and 2014.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess if treadmill training with or without body weight support improves walking ability, quality of life, and daily activities in stroke survivors.
- To evaluate the safety and acceptability of treadmill training as a gait rehabilitation intervention.
- To compare treadmill training against other physiotherapy gait-training methods.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and quasi-randomized trials.
- Searched multiple databases including Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, AMED, and SPORTDiscus up to February 2017.
- Two authors independently selected trials, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Primary outcomes included walking speed, endurance, and dependency.
Main Results:
- Included 56 trials with 3105 participants; average age 60 years.
- Treadmill training did not increase the likelihood of walking independently (RD -0.00, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.02; low-quality evidence).
- Significant short-term improvements were observed in walking velocity (MD 0.06 m/s; moderate-quality evidence) and endurance (MD 14.19 m; moderate-quality evidence).
- Participants independent in walking at baseline showed significant improvements in walking velocity (MD 0.08 m/s).
- No significant increase in adverse events or dropouts was noted.
Conclusions:
- Treadmill training does not improve independent walking post-stroke but may offer short-term benefits in walking speed and endurance for ambulatory individuals.
- The long-term benefits of treadmill training on walking speed and endurance were not established.
- Further research is recommended to explore optimal frequencies, durations, intensities, and adjuncts like handrails for ambulatory participants.
