Lokomat: Clinical training and experience in a neurorehabiltation hospital

Abstract

This presentation aims to give insight into the daily work of walking rehabilitation of patients with severe acquired brain injury (ABI) using the Lokomat© system. The lokomat system offers a high number of repetitions (steps) pr. training session with less physical stress on therapists compared to conventional gait training. The effect of a high number of repetitions for functional recovery after brain injury has become evident in studies performed during the last decade within the field of neurorehabilitation. Yet robotic treatment for rehabilitation of gait function is still rather new and the current literature lack randomized controlled trials in ABI. Furthermore few trials have specifically investigated the most optimal training strategy for different groups of neurological patients. This presentation aims at highlighting some of the strategies and clinical challenges using an evidence-based approach to rehabilitation of gait function in severe ABI patients using the lokomat© system.