Effects of gait training with a voluntary-driven wearable cyborg, Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL), on quality of life in patients with neuromuscular disease, able to walk independently with aids. (July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Miura, Kazutomo; Tsuda, Eiichi; Kogawa, Masakazu; Ishiyama, Hiroaki; Maeda, Kazushi; Kuzuhara, Kosuke; Ito, Ikue; Masuno, Natsuka; Urita, Kazutaka; Saito, Yuki; Yokoyama, Hiroko; Henmi, Rui; Ishibashi, Yasuyuki
• Is Part Of: Journal of clinical neuroscience. Volume 89(2021)
• Page Start: 211
• Page End: 215
• Publication Date: 2021-07
• Subjects: Neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) -- Quality of life (QOL) -- Wearable cyborg -- Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) -- Gait training -- Rehabilitation; Brain -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Periodicals; Nervous system -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Brain -- surgery -- Periodicals; Neurosurgical Procedures -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2021.04.038
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0967-5868

Abstract

Highlights: Evaluated the efficacy of Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL)-assisted gait training in patients with neuromuscular diseases (NMDs). HAL-treatment improved quality of life associated with mental health as well as functional mobility. HAL-assisted gait training would be a significant choice of treatment as long as they can walk alone with aids. Abstract: Robot-assisted gait training using a voluntary-driven wearable cyborg, Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL), has been shown to improve the mobility of patients with neurological disorders; however, its effect on the quality of life (QOL) of patients is not clear. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of HAL-assisted gait training on QOL and mobility in patients with neuromuscular diseases (NMDs). Ten patients with NMDs (seven men and three women, mean age: 57 ± 11 years), with impairment in mobility but could walk alone with aids underwent two courses of gait training with HAL over 6 months, and the single course consisted of nine sessions of training for 4 weeks. We compared the findings of the 2 min walk test, 10 m walk test, the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at baseline, after the 1st training, before the 2nd training, and after the 2nd training using the Friedman test. A significant improvement was observed in the 2 min walking distance from baseline (93 ± 50 m) to after the 2nd training (115 ± 48 m, P = 0.034), as well as in the domains of vitality (P = 0.019) and mental component summary score (P = 0.019) of SF-36. The improvement in 10 m walking speed was significantly correlated with that in the physical functioning (R = 0.831, P = 0.003) and role physical (R = 0.697, P = 0.025) domains in the SF-36. Our findings suggest that HAL-assisted gait training is effective in improving QOL associated with mental health as well as gait ability in selected patients with NMDs.