Article

It has been suggested that aerobic training should be considered in stroke
rehabilitation programs to counteract detrimental health effects and decrease
cardiovascular risk caused by inactivity. Robot-assisted treadmill exercise
(using a Lokomat device) has the potential to increase the duration of walking
therapy relative to conventional overground therapy.
We investigated whether
exercise intensity during Lokomat therapy is adequate to elicit a training effect
and how assistance during walking in the Lokomat affects this exercise intensity.
Ten patients with stroke (age 54 +/- 9 yr) walked in both the Lokomat and in a
hallway. Furthermore, 10 nondisabled subjects (age 43 +/- 14 yr) walked in the
Lokomat at various settings and on a treadmill at various speeds. During walking,
oxygen consumption and heart rate were monitored.
Results showed that for
patients with stroke, exercise intensity did not reach recommended levels (30%
heart rate reserve) for aerobic training during Lokomat walking. Furthermore,
exercise intensity during walking in the Lokomat (9.3 +/- 1.6 mL/min/kg) was
lower than during overground walking (10.4 +/- 1.3 mL/min/kg). Also, different
settings of the Lokomat only had small effects on exercise intensity in nondisabled subjects.

Langue : ANGLAIS