Effectiveness of automated locomotor training in patients with chronic incomplete spinal cord injury: a multicenter trial

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether automated locomotor training with a driven-gait orthosis (DGO) can increase functional mobility in people with chronic, motor incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Repeated assessment of the same patients or single-case experimental A-B design. SETTING: Research units of rehabilitation hospitals in Chicago; Heidelberg, Germany; and Basel and Zurich, Switzerland. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty patients with a chronic (>2 y postinjury), motor incomplete SCI, classified by the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale with ASIA grades C (n=9) and D (n=11) injury. Most patients (n=16) were ambulatory before locomotor training. INTERVENTION: Locomotor training was provided using robotic-assisted, body-weight-supported treadmill training 3 to 5 times a week over 8 weeks. Single training sessions lasted up to 45 minutes of total walking time, with gait speed between .42 and .69 m/s and body-weight unloading as low as possible (mean +/- standard deviation, 37%+/-17%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome measures included the 10-meter walk test, the 6-minute walk test, the Timed Up & Go test, and the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury-II tests. Secondary measures included lower-extremity motor scores and spastic motor behaviors to assess their potential contribution to changes in locomotor function. All subjects were tested before, during, and after training. RESULTS: Locomotor training using the DGO resulted in significant improvements in the subjects' gait velocity, endurance, and performance of functional tasks. There were no significant changes in the requirement of walking aids, orthoses, or external physical assistance. There was no correlation between improvements in walking speed or changes in muscle strength or spastic motor behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive locomotor training on a treadmill with the assistance of a DGO results in improved overground walking.     

Locomotor training within an inpatient rehabilitation program after pediatric incomplete spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The outcomes of intense locomotor training after incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) have been described in adults with acute and chronic injuries and with various levels of ambulatory function. This case report describes a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program with a locomotor training component in a child with a severe incomplete SCI. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 5-year-old girl injured at C4 participated in locomotor training for 5 months during inpatient rehabilitation. OUTCOMES: The patient's Functional Independence Measure for Children II (WeeFIM II) mobility score increased from 5/35 to 21/35. Her Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury II (WISCI II) score improved from 0 to 12. The patient returned to walking in the community with assistive devices. DISCUSSION: It is feasible to include an intense locomotor training program in the clinical rehabilitation setting for a child with a severe SCI, and the outcomes were consistent with results in adults. Further investigation with experimental designs and more participants will determine the extent to which this intervention benefits the pediatric population with SCI.     

Locomotor training progression and outcomes after incomplete spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The use of locomotor training with a body-weight-support system and treadmill (BWST) and manual assistance has increased in rehabilitation. The purpose of this case report is to describe the process for retraining walking in a person with an incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) using the BWST and transferring skills from the BWST to overground assessment and community ambulation. CASE DESCRIPTION: Following discharge from rehabilitation, a man with an incomplete SCI at C5-6 and an American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale classification of D participated in 45 sessions of locomotor training. OUTCOMES: Walking speed and independence improved from 0.19 m/s as a home ambulator using a rolling walker and a right ankle-foot orthosis to 1.01 m/s as a full-time ambulator using a cane only for community mobility. Walking activity (mean+/-SD) per 24 hours increased from 1,054+/-543 steps to 3,924+/-1,629 steps. DISCUSSION: In a person with an incomplete SCI, walking ability improved after locomotor training that used a decision-making algorithm and progression across training environments.     

水中平板步行训练对脊髓损伤患者康复疗效的初步观察

目的观察水中平板步行训练对脊髓损伤患者的康复疗效。方法对11例外伤性不完全性脊髓损伤患者进行水中平板步行训练等康复治疗，记录水中平板步行训练前后的ASIA运动评分、ASIA感觉评分。以及训练时的行走距离、最大步速和训练前后的日常生活活动能力（ADL）评分变化。结果经水中平板步行训练后，患者的ASIA感觉评分提高（P〈0．05），ASIA运动评分、行走距离、最大步速及ADL评分明显提高（P〈0．01）。结论在常规康复治疗基础上进行水中平板步行训练可改善不完全性脊髓损伤患者的运动、感觉功能及生活自理能力。     

Relationship Between ASIA Examination and Functional Outcomes in the NeuroRecovery Network Locomotor Training Program

Buehner JJ, Forrest GF, Schmidt-Read M, White S, Tansey K, Basso DM. Relationship between ASIA examination and functional outcomes in the NeuroRecovery Network Locomotor Training Program.ObjectiveTo determine the effects of locomotor training on: (1) the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury examination; (2) locomotion (gait speed, distance); (3) balance; and (4) functional gait speed stratifications after chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI).DesignProspective observational cohort.SettingOutpatient rehabilitation centers in the NeuroRecovery Network (NRN).ParticipantsIndividuals (n=225) with American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade C or D chronic motor incomplete SCI having completed locomotor training in the NRN.InterventionThe NRN Locomotor Training Program consists of manual-facilitated body weight–supported standing and stepping on a treadmill and overground.Main Outcome MeasuresAIS classification, lower extremity pin prick, light touch and motor scores, ten-meter walk and six-minute walk tests, and the Berg Balance Scale.ResultsSignificant gains occurred in lower extremity motor scores but not in sensory scores, and these were only weakly related to gait speed and distance. Final Berg Balance Scale scores and initial lower extremity motor scores were positively related. Although 70% of subjects showed significantly improved gait speed after locomotor training, only 8% showed AIS category conversion.ConclusionsLocomotor training improves gait speed to levels sufficient for independent in-home or community ambulation after chronic motor incomplete SCI. Changes in lower extremity motor and sensory scores do not capture the full extent of functional recovery, nor predict responsiveness to locomotor training. Functional classification based on gait speed may provide an effective measure of treatment efficacy or functional improvement after incomplete SCI.     

Gait training in human spinal cord injury using electromechanical systems: effect of device type and patient characteristics

Benito-Penalva J, Edwards DJ, Opisso E, Cortes M, Lopez-Blazquez R, Murillo N, Costa U, Tormos JM, Vidal-Samsó J, Valls-Solé J, European Multicenter Study about Human Spinal Cord Injury Study Group, Medina J. Gait training in human spinal cord injury using electromechanical systems: effect of device type and patient characteristics.ObjectiveTo report the clinical improvements in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients associated with intensive gait training using electromechanical systems according to patient characteristics.DesignProspective longitudinal study.SettingInpatient SCI rehabilitation center.ParticipantsAdults with SCI (n=130).InterventionPatients received locomotor training with 2 different electromechanical devices, 5 days per week for 8 weeks.Main Outcome MeasuresLower-extremity motor score, Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury, and 10-meter walking test data were collected at the baseline, midpoint, and end of the program. Patients were stratified according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) category, time since injury, and injury etiology. A subgroup of traumatic ASIA grade C and D patients were compared with data obtained from the European Multicenter Study about Human Spinal Cord Injury (EM-SCI).ResultsOne hundred and five patients completed the program. Significant gains in lower-limb motor function and gait were observed for both types of electromechanical device systems, to a similar degree. The greatest rate of improvement was shown in the motor incomplete SCI patients, and for patients <6 months postinjury. The positive response associated with training was not affected by injury etiology, age, sex, or lesion level. The trajectory of improvement was significantly enhanced relative to patients receiving the conventional standard of care without electromechanical systems (EM-SCI).ConclusionsThe use of electromechanical systems for intensive gait training in SCI is associated with a marked improvement in lower-limb motor function and gait across a diverse range of patients and is most evident in motor incomplete patients, and for patients who begin the regimen early in the recovery process.     

Improved intralimb coordination in people with incomplete spinal cord injury following training with body weight support and electrical stimulation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Limb coordination is an element of motor control that is frequently disrupted following spinal cord injury (SCI). The authors assessed intralimb coordination in subjects with SCI following a 12-week program combining body weight support, electrical stimulation, and treadmill training. SUBJECTS: Fourteen subjects with long-standing (mean time post-SCI=70 months, range=12-171 months), incomplete SCI participated. Three subjects without SCI provided data for comparison. METHODS: A vector-based technique was used to assign values to the frame-by-frame changes in hip/knee angle, and vector analysis techniques were used to assess how closely the hip/knee angles of each step cycle resembled those of every other step cycle. Overground and treadmill walking speeds also were measured. RESULTS: Following training, 9 of the 14 subjects with SCI demonstrated greater intercycle agreement. Mean overground and treadmill walking speeds improved (84% and 158%, respectively). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The intervention used in this study is based on our current understanding of the role of afferent input in the production of walking. Although the study sample was small and there was no control group, results suggest that training may improve intralimb coordination in people with SCI.     

Locomotor training after human spinal cord injury: a series of case studies

Many individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) do not regain their ability to walk, even though it is a primary goal of rehabilitation. Mammals with thoracic spinal cord transection can relearn to step with their hind limbs on a treadmill when trained with sensory input associated with stepping. If humans have similar neural mechanisms for locomotion, then providing comparable training may promote locomotor recovery after SCI. We used locomotor training designed to provide sensory information associated with locomotion to improve stepping and walking in adults after SCI. Four adults with SCIs, with a mean postinjury time of 6 months, received locomotor training. Based on the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale and neurological classification standards, subject 1 had a T5 injury classified as ASIA A, subject 2 had a T5 injury classified as ASIA C, subject 3 had a C6 injury classified as ASIA D, and subject 4 had a T9 injury classified as ASIA D. All subjects improved their stepping on a treadmill. One subject achieved overground walking, and 2 subjects improved their overground walking. Locomotor training using the response of the human spinal cord to sensory information related to locomotion may improve the potential recovery of walking after SCI.     

Effects of robot training on bowel function in patients with spinal cord injury

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) and robot-assisted rehabilitation (RAT) on bowel function in patients with spinal cord injury with respect to defecation time and defecation drug dose (enema). [Subjects] Twenty-four patients with spinal cord injury participated in the study. All subjects had an incomplete injury ranging from level T8 to L2. [Methods] The subjects were randomly divided into BWSTT and RAT groups. Walking training was provided to both groups for 20 minutes, four times a week, for one month. The defecation time and enema dose were measured before and after the experiment. [Results] The RAT group showed significant shortening of defecation time and decrease of enema dose. [Conclusion] The results demonstrated that significantly better improvement in bowel function can be achieved with RAT.Key words: Robot-assisted rehabilitation, Bowel function, Spinal cord injury     

Functional electric stimulation to augment partial weight-bearing supported treadmill training for patients with acute incomplete spinal cord injury: A pilot study

OBJECTIVE: To study the application of partial weight-bearing (PWB) supported treadmill gait training augmented by functional electric stimulation (FES) in subjects with acute incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Before-after crossover trial with control (A) and intervention (B) periods. SETTING: Physiotherapy (PT) department of a spinal injuries unit in Scotland. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen inpatients with acute incomplete SCI with American Spinal Injury Association class C or D injury. INTERVENTION: Training consisted of treadmill walking with PWB support augmented by FES. Subjects walked on the treadmill for up to 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The intervention was compared with a 4-week control period in which standard PT was given. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overground walking endurance and speed, cadence, stride length, and observational gait analysis and walking speed, distance, and percentage PWB support on the treadmill. RESULTS: A greater increase in overground walking endurance was achieved after the intervention (AB group mean, 72.2m; confidence interval [CI], 39.8-104.6m; BA group mean, 63.8m; CI, -10.2 to 137.9m), as compared with after standard PT (AB group mean, 38.4m; CI, 1.8-75.0m; BA group mean, 60.1m; CI, 9.2-110.9m). A similar pattern was observed for overground walking speed. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study indicated that PWB supported treadmill training with FES had a positive effect on overground gait parameters and could potentially accelerate gait training in subjects with incomplete SCI. A larger randomized trial is required to substantiate these findings.     

Asymmetric lower-limb bone loss after spinal cord injury: case report

Osteoporosis is a significant secondary condition that occurs acutely after spinal cord injury (SCI). This article reports on a patient with motor incomplete SCI and asymmetric lower-limb bone loss as it correlates with lower-limb motor function and gait characteristics. A 32-year-old Caucasian male completed a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program, including 3 months of robotic body-weight-supported treadmill training three times a week. Bone mineral density (BMD) was monitored up to 1.5 years post-SCI by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Ground reaction forces were measured through an instrumented treadmill for bilateral weight-bearing comparison. At 1.5 years postinjury, neurological examination revealed thoracic 4 American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale D SCI with less strength, reduced weight bearing, and lower BMD in the more neurologically impaired leg. These results suggest that osteoporosis may vary according to severity of impairment within individuals and that monitoring lower-limb BMD is especially important for patients who ambulate.     

Robotic resistance treadmill training improves locomotor function in human spinal cord injury: a pilot study

Wu M, Landry JM, Schmit BD, Hornby TG, Yen S-C. Robotic resistance treadmill training improves locomotor function in human spinal cord injury: a pilot study.ObjectiveTo determine whether cable-driven robotic resistance treadmill training can improve locomotor function in humans with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI).DesignRepeated assessment of the same patients with crossover design.SettingResearch units of rehabilitation hospitals in Chicago.ParticipantsPatients with chronic incomplete SCI (N=10) were recruited to participate in this study.InterventionsSubjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. One group received 4 weeks of assistance training followed by 4 weeks of resistance training, while the other group received 4 weeks of resistance training followed by 4 weeks of assistance training. Locomotor training was provided by using a cable-driven robotic locomotor training system, which is highly backdrivable and compliant, allowing patients the freedom to voluntarily move their legs in a natural gait pattern during body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT), while providing controlled assistance/resistance forces to the leg during the swing phase of gait.Main Outcome MeasuresPrimary outcome measures were evaluated for each participant before training and after 4 and 8 weeks of training. Primary measures were self-selected and fast overground walking velocity and 6-minute walking distance. Secondary measures included clinical assessments of balance, muscle tone, and strength.ResultsA significant improvement in walking speed and balance in humans with SCI was observed after robotic treadmill training using the cable-driven robotic locomotor trainer. There was no significant difference in walking functional gains after resistance versus assistance training, although resistance training was more effective for higher functioning patients.ConclusionsCable-driven robotic resistance training may be used as an adjunct to BWSTT for improving overground walking function in humans with incomplete SCI, particularly for those patients with relatively high function.     

Supported treadmill ambulation training after spinal cord injury: a pilot study

OBJECTIVES: To conduct a pilot study of weight-supported ambulation training after incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI), and to assess its safety. DESIGN: Quasiexperimental, repeated measures, single group. SETTING: Veterans Affairs medical center. PATIENTS: Three subjects with incomplete, chronic, thoracic SCIs; 2 classified as D on the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale and 1 as ASIA impairment scale C. INTERVENTION: Subjects participated in 12 weeks of training assisted by 2 physical therapists. The training consisted of walking on a treadmill while supported by a harness and a pneumatic suspension device. Support started at 40% of body weight and a treadmill speed of.16kmph, and progressed by reducing support and increasing treadmill speed and continuous treadmill walking time up to 20 minutes. Training was conducted for 1 hour per day, 5 days per week for 3 months. Treadmill walking occurred for 20 minutes during the sessions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Gait function (speed, endurance, walking status, use of assistive device and orthotics); oxygen costs of walking; brain motor control assessment; self-report indices; ASIA classification; muscle function test; and safety. RESULTS: All 3 subjects increased gait speed (.118m/s initially to.318m/s after training 12wk), and gait endurance (20.3m/5min initially to 63.5m/5min). The oxygen costs decreased from 1.96 to 1.33mL x kg(-1) x m(-1) after 12 weeks of training. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study suggests that supported treadmill ambulation training can improve gait for individuals with incomplete SCIs by using objective gait measures. The self-report indices used have promise as patient-centered outcome measures of this new form of gait training. A larger, controlled study of this technique is warranted.     

Activity-Based Therapy for Recovery of Walking in Individuals With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: Results From a Randomized Clinical Trial

ObjectiveTo examine the effects of activity-based therapy (ABT) on neurologic function, walking ability, functional independence, metabolic health, and community participation.DesignRandomized controlled trial with delayed treatment design.SettingOutpatient program in a private, nonprofit rehabilitation hospital.ParticipantsVolunteer sample of adults (N=48; 37 men and 11 women; age, 18–66y) with chronic (≥12mo postinjury), motor-incomplete (ASIA Impairment Scale grade C or D) spinal cord injury (SCI).InterventionsA total of 9h/wk of ABT for 24 weeks including developmental sequencing; resistance training; repetitive, patterned motor activity; and task-specific locomotor training. Algorithms were used to guide group allocation, functional electrical stimulation utilization, and locomotor training progression.Main Outcome MeasuresNeurologic function (International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury); walking speed and endurance (10-meter walk test, 6-minute walk test, and Timed Up and Go test); community participation (Spinal Cord Independence Measure, version III, and Reintegration to Normal Living Index); and metabolic function (weight, body mass index, and Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check).ResultsSignificant improvements in neurologic function were noted for experimental versus control groups (International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury total motor score [5.1±6.3 vs 0.9±5.0; P=.024] and lower extremity motor score [4.2±5.2 vs −0.6±4.2; P=.004]). Significant differences between experimental and control groups were observed for 10-meter walk test speed (0.096±0.14m/s vs 0.027±0.10m/s; P=.036) and 6-minute walk test total distance (35.97±48.2m vs 3.0±25.5m; P=.002).ConclusionsABT has the potential to promote neurologic recovery and enhance walking ability in individuals with chronic, motor-incomplete SCI. However, further analysis is needed to determine for whom ABT is going to lead to meaningful clinical benefits.     

Activity-Based Therapy for Recovery of Walking in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: Results From a Secondary Analysis to Determine Responsiveness to Therapy

ObjectiveTo gain insight into who is likely to benefit from activity-based therapy (ABT), as assessed by secondary analysis of data obtained from a clinical trial.DesignSecondary analysis of results from a randomized controlled trial with delayed treatment design.SettingOutpatient program in a private, nonprofit rehabilitation hospital.ParticipantsVolunteer sample of adults (N=38; 27 men; 11 women; age, 22–63y) with chronic (≥12mo postinjury), motor-incomplete (American Spinal Injury Association [ASIA] Impairment Scale [AIS] grade C or D) spinal cord injury (SCI).InterventionsA total of 9h/wk of ABT for 24 weeks including developmental sequencing; resistance training; repetitive, patterned motor activity; and task-specific locomotor training. Algorithms were used to guide group allocation, functional electrical stimulation utilization, and locomotor training progression.Main Outcome MeasuresWalking speed and endurance (10-meter walk test and 6-minute walk test) and functional ambulation (timed Up and Go test).ResultsThis secondary analysis identified likely responders to ABT on the basis of injury characteristics: AIS classification, time since injury, and initial walking ability. Training effects were the most clinically significant in AIS grade D participants with injuries <3 years in duration. This information, along with information about preliminary responsiveness to therapy (gains after 12wk), can help predict the degree of recovery likely from participation in an ABT program.ConclusionsABT has the potential to promote neurologic recovery and enhance walking ability in individuals with chronic, motor-incomplete SCI. However, not everyone with goals of walking recovery will benefit. Individuals with SCI should be advised of the time, effort, and resources required to undertake ABT. Practitioners are encouraged to use the findings from this trial to assist prospective participants in establishing realistic expectations for recovery.     

A Comparison of Robotic Walking Therapy and Conventional Walking Therapy in Individuals With Upper Versus Lower Motor Neuron Lesions: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective

To compare a walking reeducation program with robotic locomotor training plus overground therapy (LKOGT) to conventional overground training (OGT) in individuals with incomplete upper motor neuron (UMN) or lower motor neuron (LMN) injuries having either traumatic or nontraumatic nonprogressive etiology.

Design

Randomized open controlled trial with blind evaluation by an independent observer.

Setting

An inpatient spinal cord injury rehabilitation center.

Participants

A total of 88 adults within 6 months of spinal cord injury onset (group A, 44 with UMN injury, and group B, 44 with LMN injury) were graded on the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale as C or D. Each of these groups was then randomly allocated to conditions 1 or 2.

Interventions

Condition 1: Subgroups A1 and B1 were treated with LKOGT for 60 minutes. Condition 2: Subgroups A2 and B2 received 60 minutes of conventional OGT 5 days per week for 8 weeks. Subjects with UMN and LMN were randomized into 2 training groups.

Main Outcome Measures

Ten-meter walk test and 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury II, lower extremity motor score (LEMS), and the FIM-Locomotor were secondary outcome measures.

Results

By using the LKOGT program compared with OGT, we found significant differences in the 6MWT for groups A1 and B1. LKOGT also provided higher scores than did OGT in secondary outcomes such as the LEMS and the FIM-Locomotor.

Conclusions

Robotic-assisted step training yielded better results in the 6MWT and the LEMS in patients with UMN and LMN.     

Walking after incomplete spinal cord injury using an implanted FES system: a case report

Implanted functional electrical stimulation (FES) systems for walking are experimentally available to individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI); however, data on short-term therapeutic and functional outcomes are limited. The goal of this study was to quantify therapeutic and functional effects of an implanted FES system for walking after incomplete cervical SCI. After robotic-assisted treadmill training and overground gait training maximized his voluntary function, an individual with incomplete SCI (American Spinal Injury Association grade C, cervical level 6-7) who could stand volitionally but not step was surgically implanted with an 8-channel receiver stimulator and intramuscular electrodes. Electrodes were implanted bilaterally, recruiting iliopsoas, vastus intermedius and lateralis, tensor fasciae latae, tibialis anterior, and peroneus longus muscles. Twelve weeks of training followed limited activity post-surgery. Customized stimulation patterns addressed gait deficits via an external control unit. The system was well-tolerated and reliable. After the 12-week training, maximal walking distance increased (from 14 m to 309 m), maximal walking speed was 10 times greater (from 0.02 m/s to 0.20 m/s), and physiological cost index was 5 times less (from 44.4 beats/m to 8.6 beats/m). Voluntary locomotor function was unchanged. The implanted FES system was well-tolerated, reliable, and supplemented function, allowing the participant limited community ambulation. Physiological effort decreased and maximal walking distance increased dramatically over 12 weeks.     

Ambulation and balance outcomes measure different aspects of recovery in individuals with chronic, incomplete spinal cord injury

Forrest GF, Lorenz DJ, Hutchinson K, VanHiel LR, Basso DM, Datta S, Sisto SA, Harkema SJ. Ambulation and balance outcomes measure different aspects of recovery in individuals with chronic, incomplete spinal cord injury.ObjectiveTo evaluate relationships among ambulation and balance outcome measures over time for incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) after locomotor training, in order to facilitate the selection of effective and sensitive rehabilitation outcomes.DesignProspective observational cohort.SettingOutpatient rehabilitation centers (N=7) from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation NeuroRecovery Network.ParticipantsPatients with incomplete SCI (N=182) American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale level C (n=61) and D (n=121).InterventionsIntensive locomotor training, including step training using body weight support and manual facilitation on a treadmill followed by overground assessment and community integration.Main Outcome MeasuresSix-minute and 10-meter walk tests, Berg Balance Scale, Modified Functional Reach, and Neuromuscular Recovery Scale collected at enrollment, approximately every 20 sessions, and on discharge.ResultsWalking and standing balance measures for all participants were strongly correlated (r≥.83 for all pairwise outcome correlations), standing and sitting balance measures were not highly correlated (r≤.48 for all pairwise outcome correlations), and walking measures were weakly related to sitting balance. The strength of relationships among outcome measures varied with functional status. Correlations among evaluation-to-evaluation changes were markedly reduced from performance correlations. Walk tests, when conducted with different assistive devices, were strongly correlated but had substantial variability in performance.ConclusionsThese results cumulatively suggest that changes in walking and balance measures reflect different aspects of recovery and are highly influenced by functional status and the utilization of assistive devices. These factors should be carefully considered when assessing clinical progress and designing clinical trials for rehabilitation.     

Metabolic costs and muscle activity patterns during robotic- and therapist-assisted treadmill walking in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Robotic devices that provide passive guidance and stabilization of the legs and trunk during treadmill stepping may increase the delivery of locomotor training to subjects with neurological injury. Lower-extremity guidance also may reduce voluntary muscle activity as compared with compliant assistance provided by therapists. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in metabolic costs and lower-limb muscle activity patterns during robotic- and therapist-assisted treadmill walking. SUBJECTS: Twelve ambulatory subjects with motor incomplete spinal cord injury participated. METHODS: In 2 separate protocols, metabolic and electromyographic (EMG) data were collected during standing and stepping on a treadmill with therapist and robotic assistance. During robotic-assisted walking, subjects were asked to match the kinematic trajectories of the device and maximize their effort. During therapist-assisted walking, subjects walked on the treadmill with manual assistance provided as necessary. RESULTS: Metabolic costs and swing-phase hip flexor EMG activity were significantly lower when subjects were asked to match the robotic device trajectories than with therapist-assisted walking. These differences were reduced when subjects were asked to maximize their effort during robotic-assisted stepping, although swing-phase plantar-flexor EMG activity was increased. In addition, during standing prior to therapist- or robotic-assisted stepping, metabolic costs were higher without stabilization from the robotic device. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Differences in metabolic costs and muscle activity patterns between therapist- and robotic-assisted standing and stepping illustrate the importance of minimizing passive guidance and stabilization provided during step training protocols.     

Comparison of soleus H-reflex modulation after incomplete spinal cord injury in 2 walking environments: treadmill with body weight support and overground

Phadke CP, Wu SS, Thompson FJ, Behrman AL. Comparison of soleus H-reflex modulation after incomplete spinal cord injury in 2 walking environments: treadmill with body weight support and overground.

Objective

To investigate a walking environment effect on soleus H-reflex modulation during walking in persons with motor incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) and noninjured controls.

Design

Pretest and posttest repeated-measures quasi-experimental controlled design.

Setting

Locomotor training laboratory.

Participants

Eight adults with incomplete SCI and 8 noninjured age- and speed-matched controls.

Intervention

Walking overground with a customary assistive device and brace at a self-selected, comfortable walking speed was compared with walking on treadmill with 40% body weight support (BWS) and manual trainers for leg and trunk movement guidance.

Main Outcome Measure

Mean soleus H-reflex amplitude (H/M ratio) was recorded during midstance and midswing phases of walking.

Results

The H/M ratio was 33% smaller in stance phase (P=.078) and 56% smaller in the swing phase (P=.008) of walking on the treadmill with BWS and manual assistance compared with overground in the incomplete SCI group. The H/M ratio in the incomplete SCI group was significantly greater compared with noninjured controls in the stance and swing phases of overground walking (P=.001, P=.007, respectively). Soleus H-reflex modulation in the 2 walking environments did not differ significantly in the noninjured population.

Conclusions

Training walking on a treadmill with BWS and manual assistance to approximate the kinematics and spatiotemporal pattern of walking may be a more optimal environment to aid in normalizing reflex modulation after incomplete SCI when compared with conventional gait training overground.