Article

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether robot-assisted gait training combined with
transcranial direct current stimulation is more effective than robot-assisted
gait training alone or conventional walking rehabilitation for improving walking
ability in stroke patients. DESIGN: Pilot randomized clinical trial. SETTING:
Rehabilitation unit of a university hospital. SUBJECTS:
Thirty patients with
chronic stroke. INTERVENTIONS: All patients received ten 50-minute treatment
sessions, five days a week, for two consecutive weeks. Group 1 (n = 10) underwent
a robot-assisted gait training combined with transcranial direct current
stimulation; group 2 (n = 10) underwent a robot-assisted gait training combined
with sham transcranial direct current stimulation; group 3 (n = 10) performed
overground walking exercises. MAIN MEASURES: Patients were evaluated before,
immediately after and two weeks post treatment. Primary outcomes: six-minute
walking test, 10-m walking test. RESULTS: No differences were found between
groups 1 and 2 for all primary outcome measures at the after treatment and
follow-up evaluations. A statistically significant improvement was found after
treatment in performance on the six-minute walking test and the 10-m walking test
in favour of group 1 (six-minute walking test: 205.20 +/- 61.16 m; 10-m walking
test: 16.20 +/- 7.65 s) and group 2 (six-minute walking test: 182.5 +/- 69.30 m;
10-m walking test: 17.71 +/- 8.20 s) compared with group 3 (six-minute walking
test: 116.30 +/- 75.40 m; 10-m walking test: 26.30 +/- 14.10 s). All improvements
were maintained at the follow-up evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: In the present pilot
study transcranial direct current stimulation had no additional effect on
robot-assisted gait training in patients with chronic stroke. Larger studies are
required to confirm these preliminary findings.

Langue : ANGLAIS