Effect of Using a Lower Limb Robotic Device for Patients With Chronic Stroke

Eight Qualisys cameras (six Oqus 3+, two Oqus 5+, Goteborg, Sweden) will be used to measure joint angles, rotations, hip obliquity, segment accelerations and velocities. Six Degrees or Fredom 6DoF 27 point marker set will be used and joint centres identified through palpation. The participants will be asked to walk for 6 meters for minimum of three trials in order to obtain walking gait patterns.

The participants will be asked to walk for 6 meters, over a pressure mat (RSscan Footscan, Ipswitch, UK), for minimum of three trials in order to obtain walking gait patterns.

A BTS G-Walk (Brooklyn, New York) sensor will also be worn by the participants to collect additional spatio-temporal gait parameters(cadence, speed, stride/step length, stance/swing phase duration, single/double support duration and pelvic girdle angles).

A BTS G-walk system will be used to collect Timed-Up-and-Go data. From a seated position, participants will stand, walk to a cone 3 m away, walk around the cone, and walk back to the chair sit back down. Participants will complete two familiarisation trials prior to the actual test itself. A minimum of three trials will be performed

An adapted Modified Ashworth Scale will be used to assess muscle function. This will include the assessment of; Hip flexion, extension, abduction, adduction; Knee flexion, extension; Ankle dorsiflexion, plantar flexion. Each movement will be graded from 0-5.

Body weight and body mass index will be measured

Pulse wave analysis (PWA) will investigate central blood pressures, augmentation index and arterial stiffness following 20 minutes supine rest. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) will also be recorded between the carotid (right and left) and femoral artery.

Following 20 minutes supine rest, local arterial stiffness of the right and left carotid arteries will be imaged 1-2 cm proximal to the bifurcation using B-mode ultrasound.Doppler ultrasonography will be used to calculate bilaterally volumetric blood flow in the carotid artery. Blood flow will be recorded using a Doppler spectral trace for 1 minute during supine rest.

A 6-minute shuttle walk test will determine total distance walked. Participants' perception of exertion will be measured at 2, 4 and 6 minutes.

Lower Limb muscle strength will be assessed using a Lafayette hand held dynamometer (Lafayette, USA). Measures will include; Hip abduction, adduction, flexion; Knee flexion, extension;. Ankle dorsiflexion, plantar flexion. Participants will be on a massage bed and perform up to three maximal trials for each measure with a minimum of one minutes rest between each measure.

An ActivPal physical activity monitor will be used for 7 days at baseline, 5 weeks into the intervention, and on completion of the 10 week intervention to assess participants daily physical activity. Measures include; time seated, time standing, ambulation, number of steps, number of sit to stands, and energy expenditure.

Postural sway parameters will be calculated on the basis of centre of pressure. Time series will be acquired by means of a pressure mat mounted on top of a Kistler force platform (Kistler, Winterthur, Swizerland). Participants will stand on the pressure mat, unaided if possible, and trials will consist of eyes open shoes on, eyes closed shoes on, eyes open shoes off, eyes closed shoes off. A minimum of three trials will be performed for each condition, each lasting 10s

This will include the assessment of; Hip flexion, extension, abduction, adduction; Knee flexion, extension; Ankle dorsiflexion, plantar flexion on a 5-point scale. The function of the muscle will be graded from 0 (no contractions felt in the muscle) to 5 (holds test position against strong pressure).

8-item test that assesses dynamic balance and gait ability. Scored by rating the participants performance; walking on a level surface, changing speed while walking, turning the head from side to side and up and down while walking, sudden turns, obstacle negotiation, and stair negotiation. The dynamic gate index has excellent reliability (ICC > 0.94; Lin et al., 2010) and validity (r = 0.83; Jonsdottir & Cattaneo, 2007).

14-item test that assesses static and dynamic balance ability and fall risk in adult populations. Each activity is scored from 0-4, determined by the ability to perform the assessed activity with an overall maximum score of 56. The Berg Balance scale has excellent reliability (ICC > 0.95) and strong correlations with the Fugl-Meyer and Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke patients (r > 0.90).

16-item self-report measure in which patients rate their balance confidence when performing various ambulatory activities. Rated from 0-100. This scale has excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.85) within the Stroke population and adequate correlations with the Functional Gait Assessment (r = 0.53) in community dwelling elderly (Winsley & Kumar, 2010).

19-item questionnaire to assess the participant's social limitations resulting from decreased walking ability. Mobility is classified as independent, supervised, assisted, wheelchair or unable for 19 ambulatory activities commonly performed in the home (8) and community (11).

Assesses functional ambulation in participants undergoing physical therapy. Ranges from non-functional walking to independent walking outside with a scale for 0-5 respectively. The Functional Ambulation Classification has excellent validity with the 6 minute walking test in acute Stroke patients

Collects information on the time spent (number of days and average time per day) spent being physically active.

36-item questionnaire that assesses quality of life. Each question is rated from 0-5 from very bad to very good respectively. Previously this has shown to have excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.92) and has features that made it a more suitable outcome measure of QOL in older people compared with the frequently used measure, the SF-12. 36-item questionnaire that assesses quality of life. Each question is rated from 0-5 from very bad to very good respectively. Previously this has shown to have excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.92) and has features that made it a more suitable outcome measure of QOL in older people compared with the frequently used measure, the SF-12. 36-item questionnaire that assesses quality of life. Each question is rated from 0-5 from very bad to very good respectively.

A neuropsychological test of visual attention and task switching. Consists of two tests, including: i) a test in which the participant is instructed to connect 25 numerical dots in order, and ii) a test in which the participant is instructed to connect 25 numerical and alphabetical dots in order.