Balance Improvement and Fall Risk Reduction in Stroke Survivors After Treatment With a Wearable Home-Use Gait Device:...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Falls are a major concern post-stroke, often caused by impaired functional balance in hemiparetic gait.
• Previous research indicated immediate balance improvements with the iStride gait device, but long-term effects were unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term functional balance outcomes following gait device treatment in stroke survivors with hemiparetic gait impairments.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen chronic stroke participants received 12 sessions of gait device treatment on the less affected leg.
• Functional balance was measured using Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG), and Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) at baseline and up to 12 months post-treatment.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant improvements in BBS, TUG, and FGA were maintained across all follow-up time points (P<.05).
• Average improvements at 12 months exceeded minimal detectable change (MDC) thresholds for all measures.
• Over 70% of participants exceeded the BBS MDC at all post-treatment time points, with significant improvements in fall risk reduction.

Conclusions:

• Gait device treatment offers sustained long-term functional balance improvements for stroke survivors with hemiparetic gait.
• Further controlled studies are recommended to validate these findings and explore broader clinical applications.