Technological advances in interventions to enhance poststroke gait

Abstract

Neurologic rehabilitation interventions may be either therapeutic or compensatory. Included in this article are lower extremity functional electrical stimulation, body weight-supported treadmill training, and lower extremity robotic-assisted gait training. These poststroke gait training therapies are predicated on activity-dependent neuroplasticity. All three interventions have been trialed extensively in research and clinical settings to show a positive effect on various gait parameters and measures of walking performance. This article provides an overview of evidence-based research that supports the efficacy of these three interventions to improve gait, as well as providing perspective on future developments to enhance poststroke gait in neurologic rehabilitation.

Figure 1

The Odstock Dropped Foot Stimulator®. Courtesy of Odstock Medical Limited, The National Clinical FES Centre, Salisbury, UK.

Figure 2

The Bioness L300® Footdrop System. Courtesy of Bioness Inc., Valencia, CA.

Figure 3

The WalkAide® System. Courtesy of Innovative Neurotronics, Austin, TX.