Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37391851›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2023

Ankle-targeted exosuit resistance increases paretic propulsion in people post-stroke.

Krithika Swaminathan, Franchino Porciuncula, Sungwoo Park, Harini Kannan, Julien Erard, Nicholas Wendel, Teresa Baker, Terry D Ellis, Louis N Awad, Conor J Walsh

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 11% 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. A Resistive Soft Robotic Exosuit for Dynamic Body Loading in Hypogravity.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2025
    Trial
  2. Review
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  8. Effects of Belt Accelerations During Push-Off on Propulsion Mechanics in Individuals Post-Stroke.IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society · 2026
    Article
  9. Article
  10. Multi-Modal Sensing for Propulsion Estimation in People Post-Stroke Across Speeds.IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society · 2025
    Article
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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

10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Krithika SwaminathanJohn A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02134, USA.
Franchino PorciunculaJohn A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02134, USA.
Sungwoo ParkJohn A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02134, USA.
Harini Kannan *John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02134, USA.
Julien Erard *John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02134, USA.
Nicholas WendelSargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
Teresa BakerSargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
Terry D EllisSargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
Louis N AwadSargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
Conor J WalshJohn A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02134, USA. walsh@seas.harvard.edu.
Boston University · USHarvard University · USWalsh University · US

Funding

Development of a Modular Soft Exosuit Platform Suitable for Community-Based NeurorehabilitationR01HD088619 · NICHD · HARVARD UNIVERSITY · PI WALSH, CONOR · 2016 to 2021
$3.9M
A Data Science Approach To Personalizing Sensorimotor Training Post-StrokeR56NS126748 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI REMY-NERIS, OLIVIER, SCHWEIGHOFER, NICOLAS · 2022 to 2022
$717k
NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD088619NIH HHS BRG-R01HD088619NINDS NIH HHS R56 NS126748
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndividualized, targeted, and intense training is the hallmark of successful gait rehabilitation in people post-stroke. Specifically, increasing use of the impaired ankle to increase propulsion during the stance phase of gait has been linked to higher walking speeds and symmetry. Conventional progressive resistance training is one method used for individualized and intense rehabilitation, but often fails to target paretic ankle plantarflexion during walking. Wearable assistive robots have successfully assisted ankle-specific mechanisms to increase paretic propulsion in people post-stroke, suggesting their potential to provide targeted resistance to increase propulsion, but this application remains underexamined in this population. This work investigates the effects of targeted stance-phase plantarflexion resistance training with a soft ankle exosuit on propulsion mechanics in people post-stroke.

methodsWe conducted this study in nine individuals with chronic stroke and tested the effects of three resistive force magnitudes on peak paretic propulsion, ankle torque, and ankle power while participants walked on a treadmill at their comfortable walking speeds. For each force magnitude, participants walked for 1 min while the exosuit was inactive, 2 min with active resistance, and 1 min with the exosuit inactive, in sequence. We evaluated changes in gait biomechanics during the active resistance and post-resistance sections relative to the initial inactive section.

resultsWalking with active resistance increased paretic propulsion by more than the minimal detectable change of 0.8 %body weight at all tested force magnitudes, with an average increase of 1.29 ± 0.37 %body weight at the highest force magnitude. This improvement corresponded to changes of 0.13 ± 0.03 N m kg

conclusionsTargeted exosuit-applied functional resistance of paretic ankle plantarflexors can elicit the latent propulsion reserve in people post-stroke. After-effects observed in propulsion highlight the potential for learning and restoration of propulsion mechanics. Thus, this exosuit-based resistive approach may offer new opportunities for individualized and progressive gait rehabilitation.

Indexed as

AnkleAnkle JointBody WeightExtremitiesGaitHumansGait biomechanicsLocomotor adaptationPost-stroke rehabilitationResistive trainingSoft exosuit

Identifiers

PMID37391851
PMCPMC10314463
OpenAlexW4382656913

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.