Effects of GE-O System on Gait Impairments in Multiple Sclerosis Subjects

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common non-traumatic cause of neurologic disability in young adults,affecting mobility and ambulation in the majority of patients. At least 50% of individuals with MS will require an assistive device to ambulate within ten years of diagnosis. Impaired mobility is one of the top three factors associated with inability to continue working. In addition,impaired mobility and the inability to walk functionally translate into significant costs for personal assistance, medical complications, and lost wages because of unemployment. Clearly,maximizing the ability to ambulate, as well as perform safe and effective transfers,is a fundamental goal in the management of individuals with MS. None of the currently available MS disease-modifying medications have been shown to stop or reverse gait disability. Repetitive locomotor training is an innovative approach in gait disturbances in patients with MS. Only scant data on this issue is available and all the studies have been performed by means of treadmill training or robot assisted gait training (RAGT) approaches. The recent introduction of a robotic device to gait rehabilitation showed a significant improvement in gait ability in patients with neurological disease due to the possibility of being trained under a graduated body weight support condition and being being guided to reproduce a physiologic gait pattern. In 2010 a novel device called GE-O System was developed. It enables patients to repetitively practice walking on the floor and also climb up and down stairs. To date, the effectiveness of this novel device has not yet been evaluated in patients with MS. The aims of the study are as follows: to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific gait training program consisting of the GE-O System in patients with MS in improving balance and walking ability,reducing fatigue,the frequency of falls,the fear of falling and disability in activities of daily living and finally,improving quality of life