Effect of Robotic-assisted Gait Training on Motor and Walking for Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy / 中国康复理论与实践

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the effect of robotic-assisted gait training on the motor function and walking ability for children with spastic cerebral palsy. Methods:From October, 2020 to April, 2021, 34 children with spastic cerebral palsy were randomly divided into control group (n = 17) and experimental group (n = 17). The control group received conventional physical therapy 60 minutes a day, while the experimental group received physical therapy and robotic-assisted gait training, 30 minutes a day respectively. They were assessed with 10-meter walk test (10MWT), 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), Physiological Consumption Index, Gross Motor Functional Measure (D and E dimensions), center of pressure envelope area, and Functional Ambulation Categories before training, eight weeks after training, and one-month follow-up. Results:Four cases dropped out. All the indexes improved in the experimental group after training (|t| > 3.219, P < 0.05), and they were stable as follow-up (|t| < 1.565, P > 0.05), except 10MWT (|t| > 3.491, P < 0.01); while they were better than those in the control group (|t| > 2.108, P < 0.05), except 6MWD. Conclusion:Robotic-assisted gait training can promote the recovery of motor, balance and walking for children with spastic cerebral palsy based on conventional physical therapy, and remain at least one month.