Effects of Lokomat Training on Dynamic Postural Stability in Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

June 1, 2026 updated by: I.R.C.C.S. Fondazione Santa Lucia

Evaluation of the Effects of Robotic Training on Dynamic Postural Stability, Symmetry, and Gait Smoothness in Subjects With Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: a Randomized Controlled Trial

The study aims to evaluate the effects of robotic-assisted gait training (Lokomat) on dynamic postural stability in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Participants will be randomized into two groups: one receiving robotic training and another receiving conventional postural stability exercises. The primary evaluation will use the Mini-BESTest, supplemented by objective gait analysis using wearable inertial sensors (IMUs) to measure symmetry, fluidity, and stability. A secondary objective is to compare these gait indices between SCI patients and healthy individuals.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

30

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Italy
    • RM
      • Roma, RM, Italy, 00179
        • Santa Lucia Foundation, Scientific Institute for Research and Health Care

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury (ASIA scale C or D).
  • Traumatic or non-traumatic, subacute or chronic.
  • Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury (WISCI) score > 5.
  • Height ≤ 200 cm and Weight ≤ 135 kg.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Cognitive impairments preventing task comprehension.
  • Grade 2 or higher pressure ulcers.
  • Severe spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale > 2).
  • Orthopedic, vestibular, or other neurological comorbidities affecting gait.
  • Severe heart failure or cardiovascular instability.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention (Robotic)
12 sessions (3x/week, 40 min) of robotic gait training with adaptive speed, body weight support, and assistance levels.
Other: Robotic Rehabilitation
It is a robotic rehabilitation with Lokomat training.
Active Comparator: Control (Usual Care)
12 sessions (3x/week, 40 min) focused on sensorimotor recovery and non-robotic dynamic postural stability exercises.
Other: Control
Conventional rehabilitation (Physiotherapy)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) Score
Time Frame: Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).
Assessment of dynamic balance across 14 tasks (Score range: 0-28, with higher scores indicating better balance performance and lower fall risk).
Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Berg Balance Scale (BBS)
Time Frame: Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).
Static and dynamic balance assessment (Score range: 0-56, with higher scores indicating better balance performance and lower fall risk).
Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).
Dynamic Gait Index (DGI)
Time Frame: Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).
Ability to modify gait in response to task demands (Score range: 0-24, with higher scores indicating better balance performance and lower fall risk).
Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).
Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)-derived Gait Parameters
Time Frame: Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).
Quantitative measures spatiotemporal gait parameters
Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).
IMU-derived Gait Parameters - Root Mean Square
Time Frame: Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).
Quantitative measures of dynamic postural stability (Root Mean Square)
Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).
IMU-derived Gait Parameters -Improved Harmonic Ratio
Time Frame: Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).
Quantitative measures of simmetry of gait (Improved Harmonic Ratio)
Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).
IMU-derived Gait Parameters -log dimensionless jerk
Time Frame: Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).
Quantitative measures of smoothness of gait (log dimensionless jerk)
Baseline (prior to the first intervention session) and 4 weeks post-baseline (after 12 intervention sessions).

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

I.R.C.C.S. Fondazione Santa Lucia

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 15, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 1, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 1, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 418/SL/25

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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