Immediate Effects of the Honda Walking Assist on Spatiotemporal Gait Characteristics in Older Adults. Issue 1 (January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Firouzi, Mahyar; De Keersmaec, Emma; Lefeber, Nina; Roggeman, Stijn; Joos, Erika; Kerckhofs, Eric; Beckwée, David; Swinnen, Eva
• Is Part Of: Topics in geriatric rehabilitation. Volume 39:Issue 1(2023)
• Page Start: 39
• Page End: 46
• Publication Date: 2023-01
• Subjects: exoskeleton device -- gait -- healthy aging -- robotics; Geriatrics -- Periodicals; Older people -- Rehabilitation -- Periodicals; 618.9703
• DOI: 10.1097/TGR.0000000000000384
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0882-7524

Abstract

Abstract : We compared changes in spatiotemporal gait parameters of 11 healthy older adults (mean age: 88.6 years) over 3 conditions of walking with the Honda Walking Assist (HWA), a hip-assistive exoskeleton. Differences in 14 gait parameters between (1) normal overground walking, (2) walking with a nonassisting HWA, and (3) optimally assisting HWA were analyzed using Friedman and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Significant differences depending on type of assistance were found for 9 parameters. None persisted following Bonferroni corrections. Single-session individualized HWA assistance does not induce immediate changes in gait parameters. This does not contradict the potential of multiple training sessions with the HWA.