Perspective on Robotic Assisted Gait Training Devices

Volume 2 - Issue 3

Ross Bogey. D.O*

Received: May 01, 2018;   Published: may 07, 2018

DOI: 10.32474/OAJBEB.2018.02.000136

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Abstract

Adults with neurological injury (e.g. stroke, spinal cord injury) report that recovery of walking is a primary goal [1]. While many recover at least the ability to perform short distance, household level walking, community level ambulation at even moderate walking speeds is beyond the ability of most of these individual [2]. While the brain is involved in several aspects of gait initiation, termination, responding to environmental perturbations much of walking is controlled and monitored in the spinal cord, specifically in the central pattern generators (CPG). This was demonstrated nearly one half century ago, where early studies of spinal cord injured quadrupeds demonstrated reciprocal locomotion patterns in the absence of direct signals from the brain. Early studies of spinal cord injured cat [3] demonstrated that gait recovery was possible when the effects of gravity were attenuated. Gait recovery in neurologically impaired humans has also been shown using the same paradigms [4]. Good outcomes, as measured by walking speed, distance walked per time (6 minute walk test), and improved cardiac response have been shown in BWSTT trials in persons with stroke [5].

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