Objective: To investigate the clinical impact of robotic body weight support gait training using the ZeroG overground system in paraplegic patients with chronic spinal cord injury, assessing neurological recovery and functional improvements
This is a Robotic Body Weight Support Gait Training (Overground) protocol using human as the model organism. The procedure involves 13 procedural steps, 5 equipment items, 3 materials. Extracted from a 2016 paper published in Scientific Reports.
Model and subjects
human • N/A • unknown • Not specified • Not specified • 8
Study window
Estimated timing pending
Core workflow
Patient Enrollment and Ethical Approval • Baseline Clinical Evaluations • Orthostatic Training at Stand-in-Table
Primary readouts
Key equipment and reagents
Verified items
0
Direct vendor links
0
Use this page as an execution guide, then fall back to the source paper whenever you need exact exclusions, dosing details, or assay-specific caveats.
Confirm first
Use the page like this
Start here. The step list is optimized for running the experiment, with direct vendor links available inline when you need to source a cited item.
Eight paraplegic patients with chronic spinal cord injury (>1 year duration, seven complete and one incomplete) were enrolled. Clinical protocol (Walk Again Neurorehabilitation, WA-NR) was approved by local ethics committee and Brazilian federal government ethics committee. All participants signed written informed consent.
Note: Ethics approval from Associação de Assistência à Criança Deficiente, Sao Paulo (#364.027) and CONEP (CAAE: 13165913.1.0000.0085)
“Eight paraplegic patients, suffering from chronic (>1 year) spinal cord injury (SCI, seven complete and one incomplete)”
Comprehensive clinical assessments performed on Day 0 (first day of training) including ASIA Impairment Scale, Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament Test, temperature/vibration/proprioception/deep pressure sensitivity evaluation, muscle strength test, trunk control assessment, walking index, independence measurement, pain evaluation, range of motion, spasticity assessment, quality of life, self-esteem, and depression inventory.
Note: Baseline measurements before any training begins
“Such clinical evaluation started on the first day patients began training (Day 0)”
Initial training phase with patients upright and supported by stand-in-table device. Patients interact with virtual environment using 16-channel EEG to control human body avatar movements while receiving visuo-tactile feedback.
Note: Starting point of progressive complexity increase; patients imagine arm movements to modulate EEG activity for high-level motor commands
“identical interaction with the same virtual environment and BMI protocol while patients were upright, supported by a stand-in-table device”
Patients train on Lokomat robotic gait trainer (Hocoma AG, Switzerland) with integrated body weight support system on treadmill. No tactile feedback provided for this component.
Note: Component 3 of protocol; no continuous tactile feedback provided
“training on a robotic body weight support (BWS) gait system on a treadmill (Lokomat, Hocoma AG, Switzerland)”
Patients train with body weight support gait system fixed on overground track using ZeroG 19 system (Aretech LLC., Ashburn, VA). No mechanical barriers between patient and physical therapist. Requires patient to manage postural control, trunk control, upper limb strength, and dynamic balance.
Note: Component 4 of protocol; no continuous tactile feedback provided; more challenging than treadmill-based systems due to lack of mechanical constraints
“training with a BWS gait system fixed on an overground track (ZeroG, Aretech LLC., Ashburn, VA)”
Patients train with custom-built robotic exoskeleton (50-80 kg weight range, autonomous power, self-stabilization, full lower limb hydraulic actuation) controlled via EEG signals. Exoskeleton used in conjunction with ZeroG 19 overground body weight support system. Patients receive continuous tactile feedback via haptic display on forearms synchronized with robotic foot rolling.
Note: Component 6 of protocol; 12 degrees of freedom; sensorized system; requires patients to imagine leg movements to control individual stepping
“gait training with a brain-controlled, sensorized 12 degrees of freedom robotic exoskeleton”
Throughout training protocol, complexity of activities is progressively increased over time to ensure cardiovascular stability and improve postural control. Progression from orthostatic training at stand-in-table through various robotic gait training systems.
Note: Complexity increased gradually; cardiovascular function monitored before and after every activity
“the complexity of activities was increased over time to ensure cardiovascular system stability and better patient postural control; starting with orthostatic training at a stand-in-table and progressing all the way to the different gait training robotic systems”
Before and after every activity, routine general clinical evaluations performed including cardiovascular function assessment, intestinal and urinary emptying evaluation, skin inspection, and spasticity handling. Long-term osteoporosis treatment provided.
Note: Ongoing monitoring throughout entire protocol duration
“In addition to routine general clinical evaluations (i.e. cardiovascular function, intestinal and urinary emptying, skin inspection, spasticity handling), before and after every activity”
Comprehensive clinical evaluations repeated at 4, 7, 10, and 12 months using same assessment battery as baseline: ASIA Impairment Scale, Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament Test, sensory evaluations, muscle strength test (Lokomat L-force Evaluation), trunk control assessment, walking index, independence measurement, pain scales, range of motion, spasticity assessment (Lokomat L-stiff Evaluation), quality of life, self-esteem, and depression inventory.
Note: Periodic assessments to identify changes in neurological status and assess psychological/physical conditions
“were repeated after 4, 7, 10, and 12 months”
Throughout training, patients instructed to imagine movements of their own legs while EEG signals recorded from 11 scalp electrodes positioned over leg primary somatosensory and motor cortical areas. Recordings performed before and after training months to evaluate functional cortical plasticity.
Note: Longitudinal analysis of EEG recordings; 11 electrodes over leg representation areas
“patients were instructed to imagine movements of their own legs while EEG signals from 11 scalp electrodes were recorded over the leg primary somatosensory and motor cortical areas”
Independent Component Analysis (ICA) employed on EEG recordings to determine potential cortical sources (individual independent components) of novel leg representations in primary motor and somatosensory cortices and detect functional changes of these representations over time.
Note: Analysis of longitudinal EEG data to assess cortical plasticity
“Independent Component Analysis (ICA) was employed to determine potential cortical sources, represented by individual independent components (ICs), of novel leg representations in the primary motor and somatosensory cortices”
For each independent component, Event Related Spectral Perturbations (ERSPs) calculated with respect to 1-second baseline prior to event and normalized by average power across trials at each frequency. Performed before and after many months of training.
Note: Baseline period: 1 second prior to event
“we calculated for each IC the Event Related Spectral Perturbations (ERSPs) with respect to a baseline of 1 second prior to the event and normalized by the average power across trials at each frequency”
Event Related Potentials (ERPs) sampled from two EEG electrodes located over leg representation area, averaged over all patients before and after training, calculated and used for statistical comparison.
Note: Two electrodes over leg representation area; data averaged across all patients
“Event Related Potentials (ERPs), sampled from two EEG electrodes located over the leg representation area, averaged over all patients, before and after training, were also calculated and used for statistical comparison”
This section explains what the experiment is doing, which readouts matter, what the data artifacts usually look like, and how the analysis should flow from raw capture to reported result.
To investigate the clinical impact of robotic body weight support gait training using the ZeroG overground system in paraplegic patients with chronic spinal cord injury, assessing neurological recovery and functional improvements
Objective
To investigate the clinical impact of robotic body weight support gait training using the ZeroG overground system in paraplegic patients with chronic spinal cord injury, assessing neurological recovery and functional improvements
Subjects
From paperhuman • N/A • unknown • Not specified • Not specified
Sample count
From paper8
Cohort notes
From paperEight paraplegic patients with chronic (>1 year) spinal cord injury (SCI), seven complete and one incomplete lesion
Patient Enrollment and Ethical Approval (12 months of 2014)
Baseline Clinical Evaluations (Day 0)
Orthostatic Training at Stand-in-Table (Not specified)
Lokomat Treadmill-Based Gait Training (Not specified)
American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale
From paperIndependent Component Analysis (ICA) employed on EEG recordings to identify cortical sources of leg representations.
Artifact type
Longitudinal gait metrics and per-animal performance tables
Comparison focus
Compare recovery trajectory across post-injury timepoints and treatment conditions
Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament Test
From paperIndependent Component Analysis (ICA) employed on EEG recordings to identify cortical sources of leg representations.
Artifact type
Longitudinal gait metrics and per-animal performance tables
Comparison focus
Compare recovery trajectory across post-injury timepoints and treatment conditions
Temperature, vibration, proprioception, and deep pressure sensitivity
From paperIndependent Component Analysis (ICA) employed on EEG recordings to identify cortical sources of leg representations.
Artifact type
Longitudinal gait metrics and per-animal performance tables
Comparison focus
Compare recovery trajectory across post-injury timepoints and treatment conditions
Muscle strength (Lokomat L-force Evaluation)
From paperIndependent Component Analysis (ICA) employed on EEG recordings to identify cortical sources of leg representations.
Artifact type
Longitudinal gait metrics and per-animal performance tables
Comparison focus
Compare recovery trajectory across post-injury timepoints and treatment conditions
American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale
From paperRaw artifact
Per-run gait capture with paw placement, timing, and stride features for each animal
Processed artifact
Cleaned gait metrics table and recovery trend summary across timepoints
Final reported form
Group comparisons of gait indices, stride metrics, or recovery curves
Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament Test
From paperRaw artifact
Per-run gait capture with paw placement, timing, and stride features for each animal
Processed artifact
Cleaned gait metrics table and recovery trend summary across timepoints
Final reported form
Group comparisons of gait indices, stride metrics, or recovery curves
Temperature, vibration, proprioception, and deep pressure sensitivity
From paperRaw artifact
Per-run gait capture with paw placement, timing, and stride features for each animal
Processed artifact
Cleaned gait metrics table and recovery trend summary across timepoints
Final reported form
Group comparisons of gait indices, stride metrics, or recovery curves
Muscle strength (Lokomat L-force Evaluation)
From paperRaw artifact
Per-run gait capture with paw placement, timing, and stride features for each animal
Processed artifact
Cleaned gait metrics table and recovery trend summary across timepoints
Final reported form
Group comparisons of gait indices, stride metrics, or recovery curves
Acquisition
Capture run-level gait data for each animal and preserve the timepoint or treatment labeling.
Preprocessing / cleaning
Independent Component Analysis (ICA) employed on EEG recordings to identify cortical sources of leg representations.
Scoring or quantification
Quantify the primary readouts for this experiment: American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale; Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament Test; Temperature, vibration, proprioception, and deep pressure sensitivity; Muscle strength (Lokomat L-force Evaluation).
Statistical comparison
Statistical method not yet structured for this page.
Reporting output
Report representative outputs alongside summary comparisons for American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale, Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament Test, Temperature, vibration, proprioception, and deep pressure sensitivity, Muscle strength (Lokomat L-force Evaluation).
Source links and direct wording from the methods section for validation and deeper review.
Citation
Ana R. C. Donati et al. (2016). Long-Term Training with a Brain-Machine Interface-Based Gait Protocol Induces Partial Neurological Recovery in Paraplegic Patients. Scientific Reports
“”
“”
“”
“”
Direct vendor pages are linked from the protocol above. This section stays focused on the full comparison view and the prep checklist.
Gather these items before starting the experiment. Check off items as you prepare.
Aretech LLC. • ZeroG 19 • Not specified • N/A
Hocoma AG • Lokomat • Not specified • N/A
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • N/A
Custom built (research team) • Not specified • Not specified • N/A
Oculus VR • Oculus Rift • Not specified • N/A
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • N/A
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • N/A
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • N/A
Autodesk • N/A
Use this section as the page quality checkpoint. It keeps section navigation, evidence access, readiness, and verification meaning in one place.
Current status surfaces were computed from experiment data updated Feb 28, 2026.
Source access
Jump back into the original paper or the methods evidence section when you need exact wording, exclusions, or method-specific caveats.
This protocol has structured steps plus evidence quotes, and is ready for canonical sync.
Steps
13
Evidence Quotes
21
Protocol Items
8
Linked Products
0
Canonical Sync
Pending
What this means
The completeness score reflects how much structured protocol data is present: steps, methods evidence, listed materials, linked products, and paper provenance.
Computed from the current experiment record updated Feb 28, 2026.
Canonical Sync shows whether a ConductGraph-backed protocol is available for this experiment route right now. It is a sync-status signal, not a claim that every downstream vendor link or step detail is perfect.
Steps
13
Evidence
21
Specific Products
0/0
Canonical Sync
Pending
What this score means
The verification score reflects evidence coverage, subject detail, paper provenance, step depth, and whether linked products resolve to specific item pages instead of generic searches.
Computed from the current experiment record updated Feb 28, 2026.
A page can have structured steps and still need review when evidence is thin, product links are generic, or canonical protocol coverage is still pending.
What still needs work
Music Experience Rating Scale
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Semi-structured Interviews on Music Experience in Psilocybin Therapy
Nicotine Patch Challenge Study