Kawamoto Hiroaki, Kadone Hideki, Sakurai Takeru, Sankai Yoshiyuki
Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2015;2015:4803-7. doi: 10.1109/EMBC.2015.7319468.
As one of several characteristics of hemiplegic patients after stroke, compensatory gait caused by affected limb is often seen. The purpose of this research is to apply a symmetry-based controller of a wearable type lower limb robot, Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) to hemiplegic patients with compensatory gait, and to investigate improvement of gait symmetry. The controller is designed respectively for swing phase and support phase according to characteristics of hemiplegic gait pattern. The controller during swing phase stores the motion of the unaffected limb and then provides motion support on the affected limb during the subsequent swing using the stored pattern to realize symmetric gait based on spontaneous limb swing. Moreover, the controller during support phase provides motion to extend hip and knee joints to support wearer's body. Clinical tests were conducted in order to assess the modification of gait symmetry. Our case study involved participation of one chronic stroke patient who performs abnormally-compensatory gait for both of the affected and unaffected limbs. As a result, the patient's gait symmetry was improved by providing motion support during the swing phase on the affected side and motion constraint during the support phase on the unaffected side. The study showed promising basis for the effectiveness of the controller for the future clinical study.
作为中风后偏瘫患者的几个特征之一，由患肢引起的代偿性步态很常见。本研究的目的是将基于对称性的可穿戴式下肢机器人混合辅助肢体（HAL）控制器应用于具有代偿性步态的偏瘫患者，并研究步态对称性的改善情况。该控制器根据偏瘫步态模式的特点分别针对摆动期和支撑期进行设计。摆动期的控制器存储健侧肢体的运动，然后在随后的摆动期使用存储的模式为患侧肢体提供运动支持，以基于自发的肢体摆动实现对称步态。此外，支撑期的控制器提供运动以伸展髋关节和膝关节来支撑穿戴者的身体。为了评估步态对称性的改变进行了临床试验。我们的案例研究涉及一名慢性中风患者，其患侧和健侧肢体均表现出异常代偿性步态。结果，通过在患侧摆动期提供运动支持以及在健侧支撑期进行运动约束，患者的步态对称性得到了改善。该研究为该控制器在未来临床研究中的有效性提供了有前景的依据。
