Disclosures: Kelli L. LaCroix: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest

Objective: To develop a top walking speed (TWS) measure for participants with traumatic brain injury (TBI) using a robotic treadmill device.

Design: Repeated measures study during two days of walking assessments overground vs. in a robotic treadmill device.

Setting: Inpatient traumatic brain injury facility in Galveston, Texas.

Participants: Adults (N&#3f14) with mild to severe TBI were recruited at the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute (mean age, 53.07±11.47y; age range, 22-62y).

Interventions: This is a repeated measures study in which each individual is his or her own control. There are two different environments tested over a short time period of two days.

Main Outcome Measures: 10-meter walk test (fast and comfortable), 5 times sit-to-stand, 6-minute walk test, progressive resistance test, top walking speed measure.

Results: Results show these individuals were capable of walking significantly faster (p < 0.001) by approximately 0.53 m/s in the robotic treadmill environment (average top speed of 1.84 m/s, SD 0.55) compared to their overground fastest walking speed (average 1.20 m/s, SD 0.42). Model selection suggests the overground 10-meter comfortable walking speed test is predictive of TWS in the robotic treadmill and the overground 6-minute walk test is predictive of top strength in the robotic treadmill.

Conclusions: This study suggests that those who walk faster and farther during initial overground walking tests are appropriate candidates for increased dynamic stability and propulsion training, respectively.

Level of Evidence: Level II

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PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/estimating-highest-capacity-performance-during-walking-evaluation-for-individuals-with-traumatic-brain-injury/