Widuch-Spodyniuk, A.; Tarnacka, B.; Korczyński, B.; Wiśniowska, J. Impact of Robotic-Assisted Gait Therapy on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients with Subacute Spinal Cord Injuries (SCIs)—A Prospective Clinical Study. J. Clin. Med.2023, 12, 7153.
Widuch-Spodyniuk, A.; Tarnacka, B.; Korczyński, B.; Wiśniowska, J. Impact of Robotic-Assisted Gait Therapy on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients with Subacute Spinal Cord Injuries (SCIs)—A Prospective Clinical Study. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 7153.
Widuch-Spodyniuk, A.; Tarnacka, B.; Korczyński, B.; Wiśniowska, J. Impact of Robotic-Assisted Gait Therapy on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients with Subacute Spinal Cord Injuries (SCIs)—A Prospective Clinical Study. J. Clin. Med.2023, 12, 7153.
Widuch-Spodyniuk, A.; Tarnacka, B.; Korczyński, B.; Wiśniowska, J. Impact of Robotic-Assisted Gait Therapy on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients with Subacute Spinal Cord Injuries (SCIs)—A Prospective Clinical Study. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 7153.
Abstract
Background: Mood disorders, especially depression, and emotional difficulties such as anxiety are very common problems among patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The loss of physical training may deteriorate their mental state, which in turn has a significant impact on the improvement of functioning. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of innovative rehabilitation approaches involving robotic assisted gait therapy (RAGT) on mood and anxiety symptoms in pa-tients with SCI.
Methods: To this single-centre, single-blinded, single-arm, prospective study, 110 participants with subacute SCI were enrolled; patients were divided into experimental (robotic assisted gait therapy -RAGT) and control (conventional gait therapy with dynamic parapodium - DPT) groups. They received five training sessions per week over 7- weeks. The severity of de-pression was assessed by Depression Assessment Questionnaire (KPD) and anxiety symptoms by State - Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI X-1) on the beginning and end of therapy.
Results: SCI patients experienced significantly lower levels of anxiety and depression-related symptoms after completing the seven-week rehabilitation program (KPD: Z=6.35; p<0.001; r=0.43; STAI X-1: Z=-6.20; p<0.001; r=0.42) in both group of patients. In the RAGT group, post-rehabilitation measurements also indicated an improvement in psychological functioning, i.e., a decrease in depression and anxiety, and an increase in self-regulation. Significant results were noted for each variable (STAI X-1: Z = -4.93; KPD: Z = -5.26; SR: Z = -3.21). In the control group, there was also a decrease in the effect on the depression, anxiety-state and an increase in self-regulation ability (STAI X-1: Z=-4.01; KPD: Z=-3.65; SR: Z=-2.83). Rehabilitation modality did not appear to have a statistically significant relationship with the magnitude of improvement in KPD (including SR) and STAI scores. However, there were some significant differences when comparing the groups by extent and depth of injury and type of paralysis. The study also did not find a significant rela-tionship between improvements in physical aspects and changes in psychological factors.
Conclusion: Subjects in RAGD and DPT groups experienced a decrease in anxiety and depres-sion after a 7-week rehabilitation program. However, the rehabilitation modality (DPT vs. RAGT) did not differentiate patients with SCI in terms of the magnitude of this change. Our results may suggest that individuals with severe neurological condition and complete spinal cord injury (AIS A) may experience more benefit in terms of change in psychological parameters after rehabilitation with RAGT.
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
