TY - JOUR
T1 - Exoskeleton gait training after spinal cord injury
T2 - An exploratory study on secondary health conditions
AU - Baunsgaard, Carsten Bach
AU - Nissen, Ulla Vig
AU - Brust, Anne Katrin
AU - Frotzler, Angela
AU - Ribeill, Cornelia
AU - Kalke, Yorck-Bernhard
AU - León, Natacha
AU - Gómez, Belén
AU - Samuelsson, Kersti
AU - Antepohl, Wolfram
AU - Holmström, Ulrika
AU - Marklund, Niklas
AU - Glott, Thomas
AU - Opheim, Arve
AU - Penalva, Jesus Benito
AU - Murillo, Narda
AU - Nachtegaal, Janneke
AU - Faber, Willemijn
AU - Biering-Sørensen, Fin
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Objective: To explore changes in pain, spasticity, range of motion, activities of daily living, bowel and lower urinary tract function and quality of life of individuals with spinal cord injury following robotic exoskeleton gait training. Design: Prospective, observational, open-label multicentre study. Methods: Three training sessions per week for 8 weeks using an Ekso GT robotic exoskeleton (Ekso Bionics). Included were individuals with recent (<1 year) or chronic (>1 year) injury, paraplegia and tetraplegia, complete and incomplete injury, men and women. Results: Fifty-two participants completed the training protocol. Pain was reported by 52% of participants during the week prior to training and 17% during training, but no change occurred longitudinally. Spasticity decreased after a training session compared with before the training session (p < 0.001), but not longitudinally. Chronically injured participants increased Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM III) from 73 to 74 (p = 0.008) and improved life satisfaction (p = 0.036) over 8 weeks of training. Recently injured participants increased SCIM III from 62 to 70 (p < 0.001), but no significant change occurred in life satisfaction. Range of motion, bowel and lower urinary function did not change over time. Conclusion: Training seemed not to provoke new pain. Spasticity decreased after a single training session. SCIM III and quality of life increased longitudinally for subsets of participants.
AB - Objective: To explore changes in pain, spasticity, range of motion, activities of daily living, bowel and lower urinary tract function and quality of life of individuals with spinal cord injury following robotic exoskeleton gait training. Design: Prospective, observational, open-label multicentre study. Methods: Three training sessions per week for 8 weeks using an Ekso GT robotic exoskeleton (Ekso Bionics). Included were individuals with recent (<1 year) or chronic (>1 year) injury, paraplegia and tetraplegia, complete and incomplete injury, men and women. Results: Fifty-two participants completed the training protocol. Pain was reported by 52% of participants during the week prior to training and 17% during training, but no change occurred longitudinally. Spasticity decreased after a training session compared with before the training session (p < 0.001), but not longitudinally. Chronically injured participants increased Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM III) from 73 to 74 (p = 0.008) and improved life satisfaction (p = 0.036) over 8 weeks of training. Recently injured participants increased SCIM III from 62 to 70 (p < 0.001), but no significant change occurred in life satisfaction. Range of motion, bowel and lower urinary function did not change over time. Conclusion: Training seemed not to provoke new pain. Spasticity decreased after a single training session. SCIM III and quality of life increased longitudinally for subsets of participants.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Exercise Therapy/methods
KW - Exoskeleton Device/statistics & numerical data
KW - Female
KW - Gait/physiology
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Prospective Studies
KW - Quality of Life/psychology
KW - Spinal Cord Injuries/rehabilitation
KW - Young Adult
U2 - 10.2340/16501977-2372
DO - 10.2340/16501977-2372
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 30183055
SN - 1650-1977
VL - 50
SP - 806
EP - 813
JO - Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
JF - Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
IS - 9
ER -