The Effects of Robot-Assisted Gait Training on the Gait Pattern and Balance Ability of Patients with Chronic Stroke

Objective: The purpose of this study was conducted to compare the effects of progressively increasing patient engagement between robot-assisted gait training and active weight-supported treadmill training on chronic stroke patients and to identify an effective clinical approach. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: A total of 34 participants with chronic stroke participated in this study. Random program was conducted and assigned to the experimental group (n=17) and the control group (n=17). Robot-assisted gait training was performed in the experimental group, and weight-supported treadmill training was performed in the control group. Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Lower Extremity (FMA-LE), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG), G-walk system, Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) were measured before and after the intervention to compare their effectiveness. Results: Both groups showed significant differences in FMA-LE, BBS, TUG, G-walk, FES before and after intervention (p＜0.05). In addition, the experimental group showed significant differences in FMA-LE, BBS, TUG, G-walk, FES compared to the control group (p＜0.05). Conclusions: Robot-assisted gait training is an effective intervention method that is clinically significant for improving lower limb function, balance ability, gait ability, and fall efficacy in chronic stroke patients.