Table 2.
Main features of the included studies.
| References | Study design | Participants | Rehabilitation treatment | Outcome measures |
Results baseline – post-training |
Follow-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayr et al. (31) | Randomized Study (crossover) | 16 subacute stroke patients (10F/6M) mean age 63.4 years |
SG (n = 8): 3 weeks Lokomat® + 3 weeks conventional therapy + 3 weeks Lokomat® CG (n = 8): 3 weeks conventional therapy + 3 weeks Lokomat® + 3 weeks conventional therapy Lokomat® settings: BWS at 40%, speed 0.28 m/s, guidance force at 100%. Treatments: 5 times/week | RMA Scale, “gross function” | RMA showed significantly more improvement in SG than in CG | None |
| Hornby et al. (32) | RCT | 48 chronic stroke patients (18F/30M) mean age 57 years |
SG (n = 24): Lokomat® CG (n = 24): treadmill with BWS assisted by therapist Lokomat® settings: BWS at 40%, speed 2–3 km/h. Treatments: 12 (30-min) sessions | Secondary outcome: BBS, mEFAP |
CG facilitates greater improvements as compared to SG | 6 months (results maintained) |
| Hidler et al. (33) | RCT | 63 subacute stroke patients (24F/39M) mean age 57.3 years |
SG (n = 33): Lokomat® CG (n = 30): Conventional treatment + treadmill Lokomat® settings: BWS at 40%, speed 1.5 km/h, guidance force at 100%. Treatments: 3 (1.5 h/session)/week for 8–10 weeks (total 24 sessions) | Secondary outcome: BBS, RMI |
No significant differences between SG and CG | 3 months (results maintained) |
| Westlake and Patten (34) | RCT | 16 chronic stroke patients (2F/14M) mean age 56.9 years |
SG (n = 8): Lokomat® CG (n = 8): treadmill [BWS 35%, speed 0.69 m/s (2.5 km/h)] Lokomat® settings: BWS at 35%, speed 3 km/h, 100% guidance force. Treatments: 3 (30 min/session)/week for 4 weeks | Secondary outcome: BBS, SPPB |
SG significantly improved (p = 0.04) on the SPPB than CG; both groups significantly improved at BBS | None |
| Uçar et al. (35) | Randomized study (parallel-group) | 22 chronic stroke patients (22 M) mean age 58.9 years |
SG (n = 11): Lokomat® CG (n = 11): conventional treatment Lokomat® settings: BWS 50%, speed 1.5 km/h. Treatments: 5 (30 min/session/week) for 2 weeks | TUG | SG significantly improved (p = 0.003) on the TUG than CG | 6 weeks (results maintained) |
| Van Nunen et al. (36) | RCT | 30 subacute stroke patients (15F/15M) mean age 53 years |
SG (n = 16): Lokomat® (2 h/week; speed 2.5 km/h) + conventional therapy (1.5 h/week) CG (n = 14): conventional therapy according to guidelines (3.5 h/week) Lokomat® settings: 1.5 km/h (up to 2.5 km/h), gradually decreased BWS (up to 10%) and decreased GF (up to 20%) Treatments: 8 weeks | Secondary outcome: BBS, RMI, TUG |
No significant differences between SG and CG | 24 and 36 weeks (results maintained) |
| Bang et al. (37) | RCT | 18 chronic stroke patients (9F/9M) mean age 53.6 ± 3.9 years |
SG (n = 9): Lokomat® + conventional therapy CG (n = 9): treadmill training without body support + conventional therapy Lokomat® settings: BWS at 40%, speed 0.45 m/s. Treatments: 5 (1 h/session/week) for 4 weeks | BBS, ABC scale | The BBS score (p = 0.048), and the ABC score (p = 0.017) were significantly higher in the RAGT group | None |
| Bergmann et al. (38) | RCT | 30 subacute stroke patients (13F/17M) mean age 71 years |
SG (n = 15): Lokomat® CG (n = 15): conventional treatment Lokomat® settings: BWS 50%, speed 2 km/h, guidance force at 100%. Treatments: 5 (1 h/session/week) for 2 weeks | Secondary outcome: POMA-B |
SG demonstrated significantly greater improvement (p < 0.05) than CG | 2 weeks (results maintained) |
| Belas Dos Santos et al. (39) | RCT | 15 chronic stroke patients (4F/11M) mean age 50.8 ± 13.3 years |
SG (n = 7): Lokomat® + conventional therapy GC (n = 8): walking training by the therapist + conventional treatment Lokomat® settings: BWS 50%, speed 1.5 km/h. Treatments: 3 [1 h/session (2/h conventional treatment, 1/h walking training)] per week for 5 months | BBS, TUG | No significant differences between SG and CG | None |
| Mayr et al. (40) | RCT | 66 subacute stroke patients (31F/35M) mean age 68 years |
SG (n = 36): Lokomat® + conventional treatment CG (n = 30): conventional treatment + walking training Lokomat® settings: BWS 40%, speed 1.2/2.6 km/h, guidance force at 100%. Treatments: 5 (2 h/session/week) for 8 weeks | Primary outcome: mEFAP Secondary outcome: RMI, MM |
No significant differences between SG and CG | None |
| Mustafaoglu et al. (41) | RCT | 45 chronic stroke patients (13F/32M) mean age 53.1 ± 13.2 years |
G1 (n = 15): Lokomat® 2 times/week + conventional treatment 5 days/week (45 min/session) G2 (n = 15): Lokomat® 2 times/week (45 min/session) G3 (n = 15): conventional treatment 5 days/week (45 min/session). Lokomat® settings: BWS 40%, speed 1.2–2.6 km/h. Treatments: 6 weeks | Primary outcome: BBS, TUG Secondary outcome: RMI |
All primary and secondary outcome measures improved significantly in favor of G1, compared to G2 and G3 (p < 0.016) | None |
| Park et al. (42) | RCT | 40 chronic stroke patients (15F/25M) mean age 56.6 years |
SG1 (n = 12): Lokomat® + virtual reality + conventional therapy SG2 (n = 12): Lokomat® + metronome + conventional therapy CG (n = 16): Walking training with treadmill + conventional therapy. Lokomat® settings: BWS 30%, speed 1.5–2 km/h, guidance force at 100%. Treatments: 3 (45 min/session/week) for 6 weeks | BBS, TUG | In both SG1 and SG2 BBS and TUG significantly improved than CG (p < 0.05) | None |
| Yun et al. (43) | RCT | 36 subacute stroke patients (17F/19M) mean age 63.9 ± 8.2 years |
SG (n = 18): Lokomat® + visual feedback (virtual reality) CG (n = 18): conventional therapy (Bobath method) Lokomat® settings: BWS 50%, speed 1.1 km/h, guidance force at 100%. Treatments: 5 (30 min/session/week) for 3 weeks | Secondary outcome: BBS, PASS |
BBS and PASS significantly improved in SG (p < 0.001 and p = 0.014, respectively) | 1 month (results maintained) |
F, female; M, male; RCT, randomized controlled study; SG, Study Group; CG, Control Group; BWS, body weight support; BBS, Berg Balance Scale; ABC scale, Activities-Specific Balance Confidence scale; TUG, Timed Up and Go; RMA, Rivermead Motor Assessment; RMI, Rivermead Mobility Index; mEFAP, Modified Emory Functional Ambulation Profile; MM, Mobility Milestones; PASS, Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke; POMA-B, Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment; SPPB, The Short Physical Performance Battery.