Pohl, M. et al. “Repetitive locomotor training and physiotherapy improve walking and basic activities of daily living after stroke.” Clinical Rehabil 2007;21(1):17-27
This randomized controlled clinical trial was design with the intention to evaluate the effect of repetitive locomotor training on an electromechanical end effector gait trainer plus physiotherapy in subacute stroke patients. Primary outcome variables were gait ability and basic ADL, assessed before study onset, at the end of the four-week treatment period and at follow-up six months after study end. The Functional Ambulation Category, a reliable and valid score, helped to assess gait ability. Over a period of 21 months, 155 patients entered the trial, 77 in the experimental group and 78 in the control group. Results have shown that intensive robotic assistive training plus physiotherapy resulted in a significantly better gait ability and daily living competence when compared to physiotherapy alone. Consistency in the results obtained was also shown at follow up time.