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LEAP a New Overground Body Weight Support Robot: Usability Trial

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Spinal Cord Injuries
Multiple Sclerosis
People With Impaired Lower Extremity Function
Cerebral Palsy
Parkinson Disease
Stroke
Interventions
Device: Therapist LEAP session feedback
Device: Participant LEAP session feedback
Device: LEAP risk control validation
Registration Number
NCT03458169
Lead Sponsor
Clinique Romande de Readaptation
Brief Summary

People with central nervous system disorders such as spinal cord injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, etc... often have impaired lower extremity function that limits activities of daily life and independence. Different body-weight support systems have been developed to facilitate the rehabilitation process by compensating for the user's residual abilities. However, studies on weight-supported gait training on a treadmill have failed to show superiority over conventional rehabilitation programs for spinal cord injury and stroke. A recent study by the group around Grégoire Courtine showed that body-weight support systems that provide assistance only in the vertical direction disrupt the production of gait and balance, suggesting that current practices may even be detrimental for relearning to walk. For the past year, the Clinique Romande de Réadaptation (CRR) worked together with the G-Lab at EPFL and G-Therapeutics on a new robot platform specifically developed to provide adjustable trunk support along four independent degrees of freedom (LEAP). The investigators were able to draw on their long-term experience, which consists of different body weight support training systems for stroke and spinal cord injury. This knowledge, combined with the input of our therapists and physicians and the specific requirements for people with neurological/musculoskeletal disorders, has resulted in a design that can provide adjustable bodyweight support during over-ground locomotion, treadmill, stairs training, standing up and sitting down and for support during the training of activities of daily living.

The scope of this study is to examine how well the robot can be used for rehabilitation therapy in everyday clinical practice. This includes, among other things, technical aspects such as the handling of the hardware, the adaptability of the robot to the patient, and the safety during operation (such as the fall prevention). Various patient-specific aspects will also be evaluated e.g. comfort, positioning, or motivation of the patient. This study also aims to evaluate the software with the various support modes, operating options, and the user interface of the LEAP.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
43
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
LEAP usabilityLEAP risk control validation* Therapist LEAP session feedback * Participant LEAP session feedback * LEAP risk control validation
LEAP usabilityParticipant LEAP session feedback* Therapist LEAP session feedback * Participant LEAP session feedback * LEAP risk control validation
LEAP usabilityTherapist LEAP session feedback* Therapist LEAP session feedback * Participant LEAP session feedback * LEAP risk control validation
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Usability of the robot - Robot support2 minutes

From the user/therapist the information on the usability of the robot (CRF I) is being assessed. This questionnaire is only filled once by each user/therapist.

Feedback on robot support (Ordinal scale from 1:useful to 5:not useful)

Usability of the robot - Fixation2 minutes

From the user/therapist the information on the usability of the robot (CRF I) is being assessed. This questionnaire is only filled once by each user/therapist.

Feedback on patient/subject fixation (Ordinal scale from 1:useful to 5:not useful)

Usability of the robot - Applicability2 minutes

From the user/therapist the information on the usability of the robot (CRF I) is being assessed. This questionnaire is only filled once by each user/therapist.

Feedback on clinical applicability (Ordinal scale from 1:useful to 5:not useful)

Usability of the robot - Interaction2 minutes

From the user/therapist the information on the usability of the robot (CRF I) is being assessed. This questionnaire is only filled once by each user/therapist.

Feedback on the LEAP interaction (Ordinal scale from 1:useful to 5:not useful)

Risk control validation - User1 hour

The risk control measures are validated by the user/therapist (CRF IV):

The different risk controls are rated (Ordinal scale from 0 to 1 for 'Acceptable' or 'Not acceptable') This questionnaire has only to be filled out once by each user/therapist.

Usability of the robot - User interface2 minutes

From the user/therapist the information on the usability of the robot (CRF I) is being assessed. This questionnaire is only filled once by each user/therapist.

Feedback on user interface (Graphical user interface) (Ordinal scale from 1:useful to 5:not useful)

Risk control validation - Observer1 hour

From an independent observer (investigator, or a member of the development team) the occurrence of use errors is recorded (CRF III):

Each primary operating function of the robot is rated (Ordinal scale from 0 to 1 for 'use error occurred' or 'no use error' This questionnaire has only to be filled out once for each user/therapist.

Participant feeling of safety/comfort - Robot support1 minute

From the participant information on the comfort/safety is being assessed (CRF II):

Feedback on the robot support (Ordinal scale from 0 to 5)

Participant feeling of safety/comfort - Fixation1 minute

From the participant information on the comfort/safety is being assessed (CRF II):

Feedback on the fixation of the patient (Open-ended question)

Participant feeling of safety/comfort - Robot training1 minute

From the participant information on the comfort/safety is being assessed (CRF II):

Feedback on the robot training (Ordinal scale from 0 to 5)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Patient characteristics - Identification number1 minutes

A unique participant identification number is being recorded.

Robot Measurement - Patient position1 hour

The robot records the patient position in the room (in meters).

Robot Measurement - Occurred errors1 hour

The robot records the errors occurred (error number).

Robot Measurement - Fall detection1 hour

The robot records the number of detected falls (Amount of detected falls).

EMG system1 hour

Upon availability, an EMG system will be used to measure muscle activity during the session.

Patient characteristics - Body height1 minutes

The body height (in cm) is being recorded.

Patient characteristics - Body weight1 minutes

The body weight (in kg) is being recorded.

Patient characteristics - Tight circumference1 minutes

The tight circumference (in cm) is being recorded.

Patient characteristics - Stationary or ambulant1 minutes

The following patient characteristic is being transferred from the clinical internal database (obtained in the CRR on a regular basis): It will be recorded whether the patient is stationary or ambulant.

Robot Measurement - Walking speed1 hour

The robot records the walking speed (in meters per second).

Robot Measurement - Support forces1 hour

The robot records the support forces (in Newton).

Robot Measurement - Walked distance1 hour

The robot records the distance the patient walked during the session (in meters).

Patient characteristics - Testing date1 minutes

The testing date (day/month/year) is being recorded.

Patient characteristics - Waist size1 minutes

The waist size (in cm) is being recorded.

Patient characteristics - Chest size1 minutes

The chest size (in cm) is being recorded.

Patient characteristics - Age1 minutes

The following patient characteristic is being transferred from the clinical internal database (obtained in the CRR on a regular basis): The age of the participant (in years, decimal) is being recorded.

Patient characteristics - Dominant side1 minutes

The following patient characteristic is being transferred from the clinical internal database (obtained in the CRR on a regular basis): The dominant body side (left or right) is being recorded.

Patient characteristics - Walking aid1 minutes

The following patient characteristic is being transferred from the clinical internal database (obtained in the CRR on a regular basis):

If applicable: The type of walking aid (open-ended question) is being recorded.

Patient characteristics - Six minute walking test1 minutes

The following patient characteristic is being transferred from the clinical internal database (obtained in the CRR on a regular basis): Upon availability the outcome of the Six-minute walking test will be recorded (distance in meters. Longer distance corresponds to a better outcome.).

Patient characteristics - BAECKE score1 minutes

The following patient characteristic is being transferred from the clinical internal database (obtained in the CRR on a regular basis): BAECKE physical activity questionnaire (Score between 0: no activity, and 10: high activity).

Patient characteristics - Fugl-Meyer score1 minutes

The following patient characteristic is being transferred from the clinical internal database (obtained in the CRR on a regular basis): Lower limb subset of the Fugl-Meyer score. Fugl-Meyer assessment measures the sensorimotor function. (Score between 0: no function and 34: full functionality).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Clinique Romande de Réadaptation (CRR), SUVAcare

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Sion, Valais, Switzerland

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