The Effects of Gait Performance and Brain Activity After Robot-assisted Gait Training (RAGT) On Patients With Lower Extremity Thermal Injury

Summary

Gait enables individuals to move forward and is considered a natural skill. Gait disturbances are very common in patients with burn injury. Major causes of gait disturbances are pain and joint contractures. Recent studies focused on the application of robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) for improving gait functions. This study aimed to elucidate the efficacy and investigate the mechanism of motor recovery after RAGT on patients with lower extremity burn. To investigate the clinical effects, the investigators compare the results of RAGT group to the results of matched conventional (CON) rehabilitation group.This single-blinded, randomized, controlled trial involved 40 patients with lower extremity burns. Patients were randomized into a RAGT or a CON group. SUBAR® (CRETEM, Korea) is a exoskeletal-robot with a footplate that assists patients to perform gait motions. RAGT enables training of automatically programmed normal gait pattern. Patients underwent 30 min of RAGT using SUBAR® and conventional exercise rehabilitation each for 30 min once a day for 5 days a week for 8 weeks. The CON group focused on gait training such as active range of motion (ROM) exercise, weight bearing training, manual lymphatic drainage, and hypertrophic scar care for 60 min once a day for 5 days a week for 8 weeks.A wearable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) device has been developed for studying cortical hemodynamics. Changes in cortical activity has not previously been documented in patients with burn injury. The primary outcome was the prefrontal cortical activity in the both groups. The walking-related cortical activity using an fNIRS device before and after 8 weeks training were measured. To evaluate functional recovery, functional ambulation category (FAC) scores and 6-minute walking test (6MWT) distances were measured. Numeric rating scale (NRS) was used to rate the degree of subjective pain during gait movement: 0 points were assigned when no pain was noted, and unbearable pain was assigned 10 points.

Conditions

• Gait Disorder, Sensorimotor

Interventions

OTHER

robot assited gati training

SUBAR® (CRETEM, Korea) is a exoskeletal-robot with a footplate that assists gait movements. The patient's thigh length and lower leg length were measured before training, so that the SUBAR® can be adjusted to patient's size to ensure accurate training. During training, the therapist facilitated the treatment and stood by the patients' side to adjust the direction and speed. RAGT is programmed automatically, and it can be performed regularly over a long period. The patients received 30 min of robot-assisted training using SUBAR® once a day for 5 days a week for 8 weeks. Each training session lasted up to 40 min.

OTHER

conventional traiing

Patients also received conventional exercise rehabilitation with the same duration and frequency. Conventional rehabilitation therapy, which consisted of active assistive knee exercises, knee stretching, patellar mobilization exercises, and quadriceps setting exercises, was performed every day throughout the rehabilitation period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• SO YOUNG JOO, MD · handgang sacred heart hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

75 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-09-01

Primary Completion

2023-12-31

Completion

2024-03-30