Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2025
A Rehabilitation Program of Exoskeleton-assisted Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Training with Non-immersive Virtual Reality for Stroke Patients
Published on: May 16, 2025
Clinical efficacy of overground powered exoskeleton for gait training in patients with subacute stroke: A randomized
Hyun-Joon Yoo1, Cho Rong Bae2, Hyeonsoon Jeong1
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Background:
To investigate the efficacy and usefulness of 12 sessions of overground robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) in subacute stroke patients.
Methods:
In this pilot study, 17 subacute stroke survivors were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 9) and control (n = 8) groups. In addition to the conventional stroke neurorehabilitation program, the intervention group received 30 minutes of overground exoskeletal RAGT, while the control group received 30 minutes of conventional gait training by a physiotherapist. All interventions were performed in 12 sessions (3 times/week for 4 weeks). The primary aim was to assess ambulation ability using the functional ambulation category (FAC). The 10-m walk test, Berg Balance Scale, timed-up-and-go Timed-up-and-go, Fugl-Meyer assessment of lower extremity, pulmonary function test, the Korean version of the modified Barthel index, and Euro quality of life-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) were assessed. All outcomes were evaluated both before and after the intervention.
Results:
The Berg Balance Scale, Korean version of the modified Barthel index, and EQ-5D scores (P < .05) improved significantly in both groups. Only those in the RAGT group improved significantly in the FAC, timed-up-and-go, and 10-m walk test (P < .05). In the FAC and EQ-5D, the intervention group showed greater improvement than the control group (P < .05).
Conclusion:
We found that 4 weeks of overground RAGT combined with conventional training may improve walking independence and quality of life in patients with subacute stroke.
