Gait improvement in stroke patients by Gait Exercise Assist Robot training is related to trunk verticality

[Purpose] Various types of Gait Exercise Assist Robot (GEAR) have been developed recently, some of which have enabled early improvement in patients with stroke. However, none has yet resulted in independent walking in these patients. Hence, we conducted an exploratory study of the effect of GEAR on achieving independent walking in stroke patients. [Participants and Methods] The participants were 16 patients with severe stroke. We evaluated patients’ ability to walk independently after GEAR training. The outcome measure was Stroke Impairment Assessment Set (SIAS) motor score (Hip Flexion, Knee Extension, Foot Pat, Abdominal and Verticality). Differences in five SIAS motor scores were compared between the independent and non-independent walking groups. [Results] There was statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of Verticality among the 5 SIAS items used in the present research . Verticality of SIAS score of 1 was the cut-off value for distinguishing walking independence. [Conclusion] Verticality of SIAS may be a marker of potential walking independence that can be used in rehabilitation plans using walking-assist robots in patients with stroke.