Exoskeleton Controller and Design Considerations: Effect on Training Response for Persons with Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

The objective of this research was to identify variables (demographic, device, neurological, clinical, and training session dose) that were associated with results of the ten-minute walk test (10MWT) for individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI) who participated in a large randomized crossover clinical trial of exoskeletal walking. Fifty individuals were randomized into Group AB or BA (A = exoskeleton intervention arm, B = control arm). A generalized linear mixed model was applied to model 10MWT and found that a training dose of 36 sessions and gender were the most significant. These variables were more significant than neurological level of injury or completeness of injury. Understanding the effects of exoskeleton/human interface for different devices is crucial for identifying suitable candidates to use the device and developing effective/efficient clinical training protocols for community ambulation, rehabilitation, and recovery post-SCI.