Robotic rehabilitation with the Lokomat^® system in the improvement of executive functions and processing speed in...

To evaluate the effects of robotic rehabilitation with the Lokomat^® system on executive functions and processing speed in stroke patients.

A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study was conducted with a sample of 136 patients with a confirmed stroke diagnosis. Participants were assigned to a robotic rehabilitation program using the Lokomat^® for 10 weeks, with 1-h sessions twice a week. Executive functions were assessed using the Trail Making Test (TMTA and TMTB), and cognitive processing speed was assessed using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) before and after the intervention. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the differences between pre- and post-intervention measurements.

The results showed significant improvements in TMTA, TMTB, and SDMT scores after the intervention (p < 0.001). Analysis of the mean difference revealed a notable improvement in executive functions and processing speed, with large effect sizes (Cohen's d = -1.93 for TMTA, -2.08 for TMTB, and -1.27 for SDMT).

Robotic rehabilitation with the Lokomat^® significantly improves executive functions and cognitive processing speed in stroke patients, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic tool in post-stroke neurological rehabilitation.