NOVEL USE OF A ROBOTIC EXOSKELETON FOR GAIT TRAINING FOR TRANSITION AGED PERSONS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

Lower extremity robotic exoskeletons have gained recent attention in the therapeutic community as a high-tech option for assisting over-ground mobility in a variety of patient populations. This therapeutic approach is significant because the exoskeleton can be used while the patient practices real-world tasks. However, the current therapeutic approach primarily focuses on using the exoskeleton to normalize gait biomechanics by supporting body weight and realigning the lower extremity joints. The potential downfall with this approach is that the assistance provided may disengage the nervous system and reduce the generalization of adaptive movements in real-world environments. In turn, robbing the participant of opportunities to actively engage in the development of movement strategies, rendering them potentially dependent upon the assistance provided. The purpose of this Case Series poster is to rethink the clinical utility of robotic exoskeletons as a therapeutic tool. Critically, as opposed to using an exoskeleton as a compensatory device, here we demonstrate that an exoskeleton can be used to perturb the leg kinematics during gait to generate relevant motor errors that augment gait adaptability.