Satoshi Hirano, MD, DMSc, Hitoshi Kagaya, MD, DMSc, Eiichi Saitoh, MD, DMSc,
Shigeru Sonoda, MD, DMSc, Shigeo Tanabe, RPT, PhD, Masaki Katoh, RPT,
Junya Yamada, RPT, Genichi Tanino, RPT, PhD, Akira Suzuki, RPT, Norihide Itoh, RPT, PhD
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 8: 71-76, 2017
Objective: This study examined whether subacute
stroke patients with hemiplegia who receive gait
training using the Gait Exercise Assist Robot (GEAR)
show early improvement in gait independence compared
to patients who receive orthosis-assisted gait training.
Methods: Six patients who satisfied the following
criteria were included in the study: patients with
hemiplegia caused by primary supratentorial intracerebral
hemorrhage or cerebral infarction, within 60 days after
onset, aged 20 to 75 years, Functional Independence
Measure (FIM) walking score <- 3, Stroke Impairment
Assessment Set (SIAS) lower extremity total score <- 6,
and use of a knee-ankle-foot orthosis. Rehabilitation was
conducted for a maximum of 3 h a day, including 40 min
of gait training using GEAR. A historical control group
was selected from among patients admitted to the ward
for intensive inpatient rehabilitation at Nanakuri
Memorial Hospital. One control patient matching the
criteria of each subject was selected, with a total of six in
the control group. The primary outcome measure was the
improvement in efficiency of FIM-walk, defined as the
gain in FIM walking score from the baseline to supervised
walking divided by the number of weeks required.
Results: The mean improvement in efficiency of FIMwalk
was 1.0 in the GEAR group and 0.54 in the
control group, and was significantly higher in the
GEAR group (p = 0.042).
Conclusion: Gait training using GEAR may facilitate
early improvement in gait independence.
Key words: stroke, hemiplegia, gait training, robot, assist