Robot-assisted gait training for stroke patients: current state of the art and perspectives of robotics

Abstract

Giovanni Morone,1,2 Stefano Paolucci,1,2 Andrea Cherubini,3 Domenico De Angelis,1 Vincenzo Venturiero,1 Paola Coiro,1 Marco Iosa1,2 1Private Inpatient Unit, 2Clinical Laboratory of Experimental Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; 3Department of Robotics, LIRMM UM-CNRS, Montpellier, France Abstract: In this review, we give a brief outline of robot-mediated gait training for stroke patients, as an important emerging field in rehabilitation. Technological innovations are allowing rehabilitation to move toward more integrated processes, with improved efficiency and less long-term impairments. In particular, robot-mediated neurorehabilitation is a rapidly advancing field, which uses robotic systems to define new methods for treating neurological injuries, especially stroke. The use of robots in gait training can enhance rehabilitation, but it needs to be used according to well-defined neuroscientific principles. The field of robot-mediated neurorehabilitation brings challenges to both bioengineering and clinical practice. This article reviews the state of the art (including commercially available systems) and perspectives of robotics in poststroke rehabilitation for walking recovery. A critical revision, including the problems at stake regarding robotic clinical use, is also presented. Keywords: exoskeleton, neurorehabilitation, robot-assisted walking training, wearable robot, activities of daily living, motor learning, plasticity

Keywords

• stroke
• neurorehabilitation
• robot-assisted walking training
• wearable robot
• activities of daily living
• motor learning
• plasticity.