Article

OBJECTIVE: To examine the immediate effects of physical therapy and
robotic-assisted gait training on affective responses of gait training in
neurological rehabilitation. DESIGN: Randomized crossover trial with blinded
observers. PATIENTS: Sixteen patients with neurological disorders (stroke,
traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis). METHODS: All patients underwent 2 single treatment sessions: physical therapy and
robotic-assisted gait training. Both before and after the treatment sessions, the
self-report Mood Survey Scale was used to assess the effects of the treatment on
distinct affective states. The subscales of the Mood Survey Scale were tested for
pre-post changes and differences in effects between treatments, using
non-parametric tests. RESULTS: Fourteen participants completed the study.
Patients showed a significant increase in activation
(r = 0.55), elation (r =
0.79), and calmness (r = 0.72), and a significant decrease in anger (r = 0.64)
after robotic-assisted gait training compared with physical therapy. CONCLUSION:
Affective responses might be positively influenced by robotic-assisted gait
training, which may help to overcome motivational problems during the rehabilitation process in neurological patients.

Langue : ANGLAIS