Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34247470›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine2022

Efficacy of robotic exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation in patients with subacute stroke : a systematic review.

Dario Calafiore, Francesco Negrini, Nicola Tottoli, Francesco Ferraro, Ozden Ozyemisci-Taskiran, Alessandro de Sire

Registry-linked trialOpen access · greenAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06910254 (Effects of Overground Robot-Assisted Gait Training and Recumbent Bicycle Training on Muscle Characteristics, Falls Efficacy, and Physical Function in Patients With Subacute Stroke-Related Sarcopenia), which is not on this map. Cited by 60 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
60citing papers in PubMed, 13 pooled it
7.9field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06910254 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Effects of Overground Robot-Assisted Gait Training and Recumbent Bicycle Training on Muscle Characteristics, Falls Efficacy, and Physical Function in Patients With Subacute Stroke-Related Sarcopenia

TypeinterventionalSponsorSahmyook UniversityRan2025 to 2025Enrolled53ConditionsStroke, Sarcopenia, Muscle Atrophy, Mobility LimitationArmsOverground Robot-Assisted Gait Training (o-RAGT), Recumbent Bicycle Training
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

60 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 112 citations in OpenAlex.

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  19. The classification of walking and phases of gait using EEG: a scoping review.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Dario CalafioreSection of Neuromotor Rehabilitation, Department of Neurosciences, ASST Carlo Poma, Mantua, Italy.
Francesco NegriniIRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
Nicola TottoliSchool of Medicine, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Francesco FerraroSection of Neuromotor Rehabilitation, Department of Neurosciences, ASST Carlo Poma, Mantua, Italy.
Ozden Ozyemisci-TaskiranDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Alessandro de SireUnit of Physical and Rehabilitative Medicine, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia, " Catanzaro, Italy - alessandro.desire@gmail.com.
Azienda Ospedaliera Carlo Poma · ITIstituto Ortopedico Galeazzi · ITKoç University · TRMagna Graecia University · ITUniversity of Brescia · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStroke is the most common cause of disability in Western Countries. It can lead to loss of mobility, capability to walk and ultimately loss of independence in activities of daily living (ADL). Several rehabilitative approaches have been proposed in these years. Robot-assisted gait rehabilitation (RAGT) plays a crucial role to perform a repetitive, intensive, and task-oriented treatment in stroke survivors. However, there are still few data on its role in subacute stroke patients.

aimThe aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of RAGT for gait recovery in subacute stroke survivors.

designSystematic review with meta-analysis.

settingThe setting of the study included Units of Rehabilitation. POPULATION: The analyzed population was represented by subacute stroke patients.

methodsPubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CENTRAL, and PEDro were systematically searched until January 18, 2021, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) presenting: stroke survivors in subacute phase (≤6 months) as participants; exoskeleton robots devices as intervention; conventional rehabilitation as a comparator; gait assessment, through qualitative scales, quantitative gait scales or quantitative parameters, as outcome measures. We also performed a meta-analysis of the mean difference in the functional ambulation category (FAC) via the random effect method.

resultsOut of 3188 records, 14 RCTs were analyzed in this systematic review. The 14 studies have been published in the last 14 years (from 2006 to 2021) and included 576 stroke survivors, of which 306 received RAGT, and 270 underwent conventional rehabilitation. Lokomat robotic system was the most investigated robotic exoskeleton by the RCTs included (N.=9), albeit the meta-analysis demonstrated a non-significant difference of -0.09 in FAC (95% CI: -0.22.0.03) between Lokomat and conventional therapy. According to the PEDro scale, 11 (78.5%) were classified as good-quality studies, two as fair-quality studies (14.3%), and one as poor-quality study (7.1%).

conclusionsTaken together, these findings showed that RAGT might have a potential role in gait recovery in subacute stroke survivors. However, further RCTs comparing the efficacy of RAGT with conventional physical therapy are still warranted in the neurorehabilitation field. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: This systematic review provides information on the efficacy of RAGT in allowing subacute stroke patients to perform high-intensity gait training with a lower physical burden on PRM professionals.

Indexed as

Exoskeleton DeviceGait Disorders, NeurologicStrokeStroke RehabilitationGaitHumans

Identifiers

PMID34247470
PMCPMC9980569
OpenAlexW3181799139

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.