Disclosures: Brianne Darcy, PT, DPT: Moterum Technologies, Inc (Products/Services: Yes) (Consultant/Advisory Board, Stockholder/Ownership Interest (excluding diversified mutual funds))

Objective: To investigate the functional benefit and long-term retention of treatment with a home use gait device targeting hemiparetic gait impairments in chronic stroke survivors.

Design: Single group, before-and-after follow-up design Setting : Each participant’s home environment Participants : Eighteen participants (mean 56.7 years, range 44-77 years) at least one-year post-stroke (mean 59.7 months, range 13-308 months) completed the treatment protocol and associated follow-up assessments.

Interventions: Participants completed 12 treatment sessions (three times per week over four weeks) with the gait device. During each session, participants ambulated over ground using the gait device for a goal of 30 minutes. Sessions were supervised by physical therapists who assessed the participant’s gait at baseline (pre-treatment) and follow-up timeframes of one-week, one-month, three-months, six-months, and 12-months after treatment.

Main Outcome Measures: Gait speed was measured using the 10 Meter Walk Test at a comfortable pace. Functional balance and risk for falls were assessed using the Timed Up and Go Test, Berg Balance Scale, and Functional Gait Assessment.

Results: Analysis using repeated measures ANOVA revealed statistical significance for all outcome measures from baseline to each post-treatment timeframe (p < 0.05). Mean improvement on each measure remained above the minimal clinically important difference or minimal detectable change at each post-treatment timeframe. Twelve months post-treatment, gait speed remained 0.212 m/s above baseline, and over 80% of participants maintained a reduced fall risk on at least one fall prediction outcome measure. Conclusions: Gait and balance deficits remain two of the most troubling and persistent consequences for chronic stroke survivors. Promising strategies to promote motor learning and neuroplasticity in this population include treatments delivering high repetitions in a functionally-relevant context. Integrating these principles, the gait device used in this study shows promise of long-term functional improvement with a therapeutic effect persisting at least 12-month post-treatment. Continued research is warranted to further understanding of the impact and benefit of treatment with this gait device.

Level of Evidence: Level IV

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PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/home-use-gait-device-for-treatment-of-post-stroke-hemiparetic-gait-impairments-12-month-follow-up-results/