One-Year Retention of Gait Speed Improvement in Stroke Survivors After Treatment with a Wearable Home-Use Gait Device

A majority of stroke survivors experience gait impairments, some of which persist into the chronic phase of stroke. Treatment with the iStride TM gait device has been shown to improve symmetry, gait speed, and functional balance for chronic stroke survivors with hemiparetic gait impairments. In this study, we examine the long-term gait speed changes up to twelve months after treatment with the gait device. Eighteen individuals (mean 56.7 years, range 44-77 years) at least one-year post-stroke (mean 59.7 months, range 13-308 months) participated in this single group, before-after study with multiple follow-ups. Participants completed approximately 12, 30-minute treatment sessions with the gait device in their home environment. Gait speed was measured using the Ten-Meter Walk Test at a comfortable pace at baseline and five follow-up sessions after the treatment period: one week, one month, three months, six months, and twelve months. Gait speed changes were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA from baseline to each follow-up time frame, comparison to the minimal clinically important difference threshold, evaluation of gait speed classification changes, and subjective questionnaires. Results showed that participants retained more than a 0.21 m/s gait speed improvement compared to baseline at all post-treatment time frames, p<0.01. Additionally, 94% of participants improved their gait speed beyond the minimally clinically important difference during one or more post-treatment measurements, and 88% of participants subjectively reported a gait speed improvement. These study findings indicate that treatment with the gait device may result in meaningful, long-term gait speed improvement for chronic stroke survivors with hemiparetic gait impairments.