Effect of Gait Training With a Walking Assist Robot on Gait Function and Balance in Elderly Adults

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gait training with the new wearable hip assist robot developed by Samsung Advance Institute of Technology (Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd, Korea) in elderly adults.

Detailed Description
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Eight elderly adults will participate in this study. All subjects will receive training 3 times per week for 8 weeks for 24 training sessions. Each session is directed by a licensed physical therapist and lasted 60 min (including rest period of 10 min). Brain activity and gait assessment will be performed at visits 0 (baseline), 24 (post-test), and at 3 months (follow-up) after training. Primary objective is to demonstrate the effects of hip assist robot on spatio-temporal parameters measured by motion capture system (Motion Analysis Corporation, Santa Rosa, CA, USA), muscle activation patterns measured by surface electromyography (sEMG) (Noraxon Inc., Scottsdale, AZ, USA), metabolic energy cost parameters measured by portable cardiopulmonary metabolic system (Cosmed K4B2, Rome, Italy) and cortical activation measured by functional Near-Infrared-Spectroscopy (fNIRS) (NIRScout, NIRx, Germany). Secondary objective is to demonstrate the effects of hip assist robot on motor function improvement evaluated by Short Physical Performance Battery Protocol and Score Sheet (SPPB), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, Push and Release (P&R) test, Functional Reach Test (FRT), Korean version Fall Efficacy Scale (K-FES), Manual Muscle Test (MMT) and Range of Motion (ROM).

Official Title
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Effect of Gait Training With a Walking Assist Robot on Gait Function and Balance in Elderly Adults

Conditions
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Gait, Unsteady, Healthy

Intervention / Treatment
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* Device: Samsung Hip Assist v1


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Age: between 65 and 84 years elderly adults who had no neurological or musculoskeletal abnormalities affecting gait Ability to walk at least 10m regardless of assist devices High levels of physical performance (SPPB > 7) Subject is willing to be randomized to the control group or the treatment group Exclusion Criteria: History of any diseases (eg. lower extremity orthopedic diseases, neurologic disorders, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension that affect walking capacity, efficiency, and endurance) Severe visual impairment or dizziness that increases the risk of falls

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 65 Years
Maximum Age: 84 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Device Feasibility
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Gait training group<br>Gait training with Samsung Hip Assist v1 All subjects receive gait training 3 times per week for 8 weeks for 24 training sessions. | Device: Samsung Hip Assist v1<br>* All subjects receive gait training 3 times per week for 8 weeks for 24 training sessions. Each session is directed by a licensed physical therapist and lasted 60 min including rest period of 10 min. Brain activity and gait assessment is performed at visits 0 (baseline), 24 (post-test), and at 3 months (follow-up) after training.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in 10 meter walk test from baseline in gait speed | Measure of self selected speeds by measuring the time it takes an individual to walk 10 meters. To perform the test, patient walks 10 meters (33 ft) and the time is measured when the leading foot crosses the start line and the finish line. The instructions are: Please walk this distance at your normal pace when I say go. | session 0 (initial visit); session 24 (at approximately 8 weeks); at 3 months (follow-up) | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Exoskeleton Device, Elderly, Gait rehabilitation