Robot-Assisted Gait Training Beneficial for Children With Cerebral Palsy
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 30, 2024 -- Overground robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) using a wearable robot improves gross motor function and gait pattern in children with cerebral palsy (CP), according to a study published online July 22 in JAMA Network Open.
Ja Young Choi, M.D., Ph.D., from Chungnam National University Hospital in Daejeon, Korea, and colleagues examined the effectiveness of overground RAGT in children with CP using an untethered, torque-assisted, wearable exoskeletal robot in a multicenter, single-blind randomized trial. Ninety children were included; 78 completed the intervention, including 37 and 41 randomly assigned to the RAGT and control groups, respectively. The RAGT group underwent 18 RAGT sessions during six weeks, and the control group received the same number of standard physical therapy sessions.
The researchers found that changes in the RAGT group significantly exceeded those in the control group in the Gross Motor Function Measure 88 (GMFM-88) total score, GMFM dimension E, and GMFM-66 (mean differences, 2.64, 2.70, and 1.31, respectively) and in the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test responsibility domain scores (mean difference, 2.52), indicating independence in daily living at the assessment conducted postintervention. At the four-week follow-up, significantly greater improvements were seen in balance control and the Gait Deviation Index in the RAGT group versus the control group (mean differences, 1.48 and 6.48, respectively).
"This new torque-assisted, wearable RAGT benefits children with CP, supporting power-as-needed control, motivating children to explore walking, and providing intensive gait training," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2024
Read this next
Fewer Opioids Being Prescribed for Low Back Pain in the Emergency Department
FRIDAY, July 18, 2025 -- From 2016 to 2022, 5.3 percent of all U.S. emergency department visits were related to low back pain, with opioid administration and prescription...
ENDO: AI Model Integrated Into Retina Tracker IDs Diabetic Retinopathy
FRIDAY, July 18, 2025 -- An artificial intelligence (AI) model integrated into a retina tracker for diabetic retinopathy can achieve high accuracy while being resource-efficient...
Dogs Can Differentiate Between People With Parkinson Disease, Controls
FRIDAY, July 18, 2025 -- Dogs can differentiate between dry skin swab samples from people with Parkinson disease (PwP) and controls, according to a study published online July 14...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.