A Rehabilitation Program of Exoskeleton-assisted Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Training with Non-immersive Virtual Reality for Stroke Patients

Stroke is a cerebrovascular event that significantly affects patients' mobility and independence. Restoring gait patterns is a critical goal of stroke rehabilitation, and technology-based therapies have shown promising results. Lower limb exoskeleton therapy, body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT), and game-based virtual reality (VR) training are innovative approaches that have improved muscle strength, balance, and walking capability in stroke patients. Integrating these therapies into a comprehensive rehabilitation program may enhance motor recovery and functional outcomes for stroke survivors. This study investigates the potential advantages of combining exoskeleton-assisted BWSTT with game-based VR in enhancing dual-task capability during stroke recovery. Berg Balance Scale (BBS) demonstrated significant improvement after training (p = 0.03), but no statistical differences were observed in the Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUG, p = 0.15) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM, p = 0.38). In summary, this treatment has led to improvements in patient balance. The use of advanced technological devices in this rehabilitation protocol during the acute phase following a stroke is promising and warrants further investigation through a randomized controlled trial.