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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Neurology

Impact of hybrid assistive limb on gait ability and quality of life in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

  • Harumi Morioka1
  • Takehisa Hirayama1
  • Mari Shibukawa1
  • Tatsuki Sugisawa2
  • Junpei Nagasawa1
  • Sayori Hanashiro1
  • Junya Ebina1
  • Ryuichi Okamoto1
  • Makiko Ogawa1
  • Ikuko Okuni2
  • Yoshitaka Murakami3
  • Osamu Kano1
  1. 1Department of Neurology, Toho University Faculty of Medicine
  2. 2Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Toho University Faculty of Medicine
  3. 3Department of Medical Statistics, Toho University Faculty of Medicine
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Abstract

Objective: Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) is a cyborg-type wearable robot that supports gait training based on the wearer’s intended motion. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of HAL treatment on gait ability and quality of life (QoL) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: Patients with an unsteady gait with the ability to walk ≥10 m with assistance from a caregiver and/or walker were included in this study. Patients underwent nine HAL treatment sessions (20–40 min per session), with no more than one session per day, over a period of at least 4 weeks. Gait ability was evaluated using the distance of the 2-min walk test (2MWT), and the speed (m/s), step length (m/step), and cadence (step/s) of the 10-m walk test. Both tests were performed without HAL assistance. QoL was evaluated using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey.

Results: We evaluated 30 patients who completed one course of treatment. To evaluate the effectiveness of HAL, a paired t- test was used for the results of one course. With one course of treatment, the 2MWT improved from 92.27 m (40.46) at baseline to 104.16 m (41.73) ( p < 0.001). Regarding QoL, the mental component summary score was 55.35 (8.27) before HAL treatment, indicating relatively preserved mental QoL. There were no significant changes in QoL before and after treatment.

Conclusion: Although no curative treatment exists for ALS, HAL treatment may provide short-term improvement in gait ability in patients with ALS. However, no significant changes in QoL were observed after one course of treatment.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{morioka2026impact,
  title = {{Impact of hybrid assistive limb on gait ability and quality of life in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis}},
  author = {Harumi Morioka and Takehisa Hirayama and Mari Shibukawa and Tatsuki Sugisawa and Junpei Nagasawa and Sayori Hanashiro and Junya Ebina and Ryuichi Okamoto and Makiko Ogawa and Ikuko Okuni and Yoshitaka Murakami and Osamu Kano},
  journal = {Frontiers in Neurology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fneur.2026.1823485},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1823485/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Impact of hybrid assistive limb on gait ability and quality of life in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
AU  - Harumi Morioka
AU  - Takehisa Hirayama
AU  - Mari Shibukawa
AU  - Tatsuki Sugisawa
AU  - Junpei Nagasawa
AU  - Sayori Hanashiro
AU  - Junya Ebina
AU  - Ryuichi Okamoto
AU  - Makiko Ogawa
AU  - Ikuko Okuni
AU  - Yoshitaka Murakami
AU  - Osamu Kano
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/14
JO  - Frontiers in Neurology
DO  - 10.3389/fneur.2026.1823485
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1823485/full
AB  - Objective: Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) is a cyborg-type wearable robot that supports gait training based on the wearer’s intended motion. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of HAL treatment on gait ability and quality of life (QoL) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  Methods: Patients with an unsteady gait with the ability to walk ≥10 m with assistance from a caregiver and/or walker were included in this study. Patients underwent nine HAL treatment sessions (20–40 min per session), with no more than one session per day, over a period of at least 4 weeks. Gait ability was evaluated using the distance of the 2-min walk test (2MWT), and the speed (m/s), step length (m/step), and cadence (step/s) of the 10-m walk test. Both tests were performed without HAL assistance. QoL was evaluated using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey.  Results: We evaluated 30 patients who completed one course of treatment. To evaluate the effectiveness of HAL, a paired t- test was used for the results of one course. With one course of treatment, the 2MWT improved from 92.27 m (40.46) at baseline to 104.16 m (41.73) ( p < 0.001). Regarding QoL, the mental component summary score was 55.35 (8.27) before HAL treatment, indicating relatively preserved mental QoL. There were no significant changes in QoL before and after treatment.  Conclusion: Although no curative treatment exists for ALS, HAL treatment may provide short-term improvement in gait ability in patients with ALS. However, no significant changes in QoL were observed after one course of treatment.
SN  - 1664-2295
ER  -