Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41390416›Full record

Observational studyJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2025

Overground robotic walker use in the home and community: a six-month prospective cohort study.

Alicia J Hilderley, Christa M Diot, Hua Shen, Sean P Dukelow, Kelly A Larkin-Kaiser, Adam Kirton, Elizabeth G Condliffe

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

7 authors.

Alicia J HilderleyDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Christa M DiotAlberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Hua ShenDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Sean P DukelowHotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Kelly A Larkin-KaiserHotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Adam KirtonDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Elizabeth G CondliffeDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. elizabeth.condliffe@ucalgary.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOutcomes following long-term use of overground robotic walkers have not been studied, even though children with mobility impairments are using these devices for extended periods. We aimed to evaluate the impacts of six months of overground robotic walker use in the home and community.

methodsAn observational cohort study was conducted with a volunteer sample of 171 participants with mobility impairments who privately obtained an overground robotic walker. Participant-initiated overground robotic walker use in the home and community was evaluated over six-months. The primary outcome of functional ability was assessed by parent report using the Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ). Secondary outcome measures were parent-reported physical activity, positive affect, sleep disturbance, and bowel movement frequency. Questionnaires were sent digitally at baseline (when users received device use training), and then 1-Month, 3-Months and 6-Months later. The device tracked monthly usage, specifically number of steps, minutes of use, average cadence (steps/minute), and the number of times the device was used.

resultsMedian participant age was 6 years (range 1 to 24), 42.1% were female, 70.8% had a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, and most were not independently ambulatory (97.3% of participants who reported function). Adjusted cumulative link mixed models demonstrated a significant main effect of time for FAQ scores, with increased log odds of a higher FAQ score at each time point (ß=0.86, 95% CI [0.25, 1.46], p = 0.006). The median FAQ score increased from 1 at baseline to 2 at subsequent time points. Adjusted repeated measures linear mixed-effects models demonstrated significant main effects of time for secondary outcomes, with improvements in physical activity scores (ß=0.96, 95% CI [0.21, 1.71], p = 0.012), sleep disturbance scores (ß=-0.82, 95% CI [-1.61, -0.04], p = 0.040), average cadence (steps/minute) (ß=1.86, 95% CI [0.61, 3.11], p = 0.004), and also decreases in the number of times the device was used per month (ß=-0.95, 95% CI [-1.63, -0.26], p = 0.007). Device usage time and total steps per month did not significantly change over time.

conclusionsSix months of overground robotic walker use resulted in modest, statistically significant improvements in functional ability and secondary outcomes linked to physical inactivity. Device usage time was consistent over time, suggesting feasibility of long-term home and community use.

Indexed as

RoboticsWalkersAdolescentCerebral PalsyChildChild, PreschoolCohort StudiesFemaleHumansInfantMaleProspective StudiesSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultAssistive deviceCerebral palsyPatient reported outcome measuresRehabilitationRobotics

Identifiers

PMID41390416
PMCPMC12817716

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.