Robotic Gait Training in an Adult With Cerebral Palsy: A Case Report
Received 20 August 2009; accepted 29 October 2009.
Improved treatments and rehabilitation for cerebral palsy (CP) have led to an increased number of children with CP surviving into adulthood. Adults with CP show an increased prevalence of pain, fatigue, and musculoskeletal dysfunction, leading to a decrease in ambulatory function. Recent work has demonstrated the potential benefits of intensive task-specific gait training, including the use of robotic-driven gait orthoses, on motor recovery in children with CP []. In contrast, reports of interventions aimed at improving motor function in adults with CP are lacking. This case study reports on the outcomes of a 6-week intervention of robotic-assisted gait training administered to a 52-year-old woman with right hemiplegia attributable to CP. Improvements were noted in balance, walking speed, and time to negotiate stairs at posttraining and follow-up. Gait analysis showed an increase in step length and a reduction in the period of double support. In conclusion, robotic-assisted gait training may be beneficial in enhancing locomotor function in adults with CP.
aDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA†
bDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA; and Movement Analysis Laboratory, Istituti Ortopedici Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy‡
cDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA§
eDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA∥
fDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, 125 Nashua Street, Boston, MA 02114-1198; and Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA#
Address correspondence to: P.B.
Disclosure Key can be found on the Table of Contents and at www.pmrjournal.org
This work was partially supported by the Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation.
The medical device used in this study is the Lokomat System (Hocoma, AG, Switzerland), FDA Regulation Number 890.5380; approved for indicated use.
∥ Disclosure: 8B, co PI on award from the Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation
# Disclosure: 7B, the Motion Analysis Laboratory received an unrestricted gift from the manufacturer of Lokomat (Hocoma); 8B, served as PI on an award from the Cerebral Palsy International Research Foundation
ABSTRACT