Effects of robotic-assisted gait training on the central vascular health of individuals with spinal cord injury: A pilot study

This study looked at how robotic-assisted walking training affects the heart and blood vessels of people with spinal cord injuries. They found that a short training program improved some measures of heart health. The participants were split into two groups: one that did robotic-assisted walking training in addition to physiotherapy, and another that just did regular physiotherapy. The robotic-assisted training group showed improvements in blood vessel function. These findings suggest that robotic-assisted walking could be a good way to improve heart health in people with spinal cord injuries. More research is needed to confirm these results and see how long the benefits last.

• 1
  Robotic-assisted gait training (RGT) significantly reduced arterial wave reflection (AIx) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).
• 2
  RGT also led to a significant decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) in the SCI participants.
• 3
  The time spent upright, walking, and the number of steps taken increased significantly during the RGT program.