Effects of a robot-mediated locomotor training on EMG activation in healthy and SCI subjects

The robot-mediated locomotor training in paraplegic subjects was recently introduced for gait recovery. The objectives of the present work were 1) to study the changes in the muscular recruitment after locomotion rehabilitation using a robotic system in SCI subjects and 2) to compare muscular recruitment in two different conditions of subject-robot cooperation. Muscles activity was recorded, averaged, and normalized both in healthy and spinal cord injured (SCI) subjects, during robot-aided locomotor exercise. The muscular recruitment in actively and passively cooperating subjects was compared. SCI subjects were recorded also after four weeks training and three months follow-up. A further recording was performed during treadmill exercise, without the robot assistance. A higher muscular recruitment, during the robot-aided exercise, was observed when the subjects actively cooperated with the robot than when they were passive. During the treadmill exercise without the robot support, the muscular recruitment was similar to that observed in the active condition, though with a lower proximal muscular activation. In the paraplegic subjects, the robot-aided training allowed them to recover some muscular recruitment, which was absent at the beginning of the therapy, and to obtain the capacity of performing the treadmill exercise without the robot support.