Novel use of robot-assisted gait rehabilitation in a patient with stroke and blindness

Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) is an effective adjunctive treatment for patients with stroke that helps to regain functional mobility and is applied in many rehabilitation units for poststroke neurorecovery. We discuss our successful attempt to apply RAGT in a patient with blindness that impeded his ability to maintain balance during gait training. He initially required two assistants to walk, but after undergoing conventional therapy with adjunctive RAGT, he improved to standby assistance for ambulation. There were also improvements in balance, activity tolerance and quality of life. Low-or-no vision states can affect the pace of recovery poststroke, but RAGT and conventional physiotherapy can possibly be combined in such patients to improve balance and motor outcomes. The Andago robot's safety features of weight support, harnessed suspension and walking mode selection supported our decision and enabled us to apply it safely for this patient.