Efficacy and safety of EXOWALK® on electromechanical-assisted gait training: study protocol for randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background High-intensity repetitive task-specific practice might be the most effective strategy to promote motor recovery after stroke, and electromechanical-assisted gait training represents one of the treatment options. However, there is still difficulty in clarifying the difference between conventional gait training and electromechanically assisted gait training. Methods The study is a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group clinical trial for stroke patients. Three clinical research centers in Korea (Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Chungnam National University Hospital, and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital) will participate in the clinical trial and 144 stroke patients will be registered. Enrolled patients are assigned to two groups, an experimental group and a control group, according to a randomization table. In addition, patients are treated for half an hour (one session) five times a week for 4 weeks. Both groups carry out basic rehabilitation (central nervous system development therapy and strength exercise) and the experimental group executes robotic walking rehabilitation treatment, and the control group executes conventional gait rehabilitation treatment. The primary endpoint variable is the Functional Ambulation Category (FAC) that determines the degree of independent walking and is measured before, after, and after 4 weeks of treatment. Secondary endpoint variables are 11 variables that take into account motor function and range, measured at the same time as the primary endpoint variable. Discussion There are still insufficient data on the effectiveness of electromechanical-assisted gait training for stroke patients and large-scale research is lacking. Thus, the research described here is a large-scale study of stroke patients that can supplement the limitations mentioned in other previous studies. In addition, the clinical studies described here include physical epidemiological analysis parameters that can determine walking ability. The results of this study can lead to prove the generalizable effectiveness and safety of electromechanical-assisted gait training with EXOWALK (R).