Effects of robot rehabilitation on the motor function and gait in children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

This study was to determine the effects of robot rehabilitation on motor function and gait in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and the effect of robot type. Inclusion criteria were children with any type of CP, robot rehabilitation studies, non-robot rehabilitation comparison groups, outcomes related to motor function and gait, and randomized controlled trials. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were searched. Risk of bias was assessed using physiotherapy evidence database. Seven studies with a total of 228 participants were selected. Motor function was significantly improved in three studies comparing robot rehabilitation and control groups (standard mean difference [SMD], 0.79; 95% confidence intervals [CIs], 0.34–1.24; I2 = 73%). Gait was not significantly improved in five studies comparing robot rehabilitation and control groups (SMD, 0.27; 95% CI, -0.09 to 0.63; I2 = 45%). When comparing effects by robot type, robotic-assisted gate training (RAGT) showed significant improvements in both motor function (SMD, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.36–1.43; I2 = 77%) and gait (SMD, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.12–1.11; I2 = 44%). Robot rehabilitation effectively improved motor function, and among the robot types, RAGT was found to be effective in improving motor function and gait.