Body Representation in Patients with Severe Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study on the Promising Role of Powered Exoskeleton for Gait Training

The pilot study investigated the effects of the Ekso-GT powered exoskeleton on body representation (BR) and quality of life in 42 patients with severe spinal cord injury (SCI). Participants were divided into an experimental group receiving Ekso-GT training and a control group undergoing conventional physical therapy. The study found that the experimental group showed significant improvements in BR, psychological distress, and quality of life compared to the control group. The results suggested that Ekso-GT training could positively impact BR, particularly in reducing psychological distress and improving perception of the lower limbs, thereby enhancing overall quality of life for patients with chronic SCI. However, the study noted the need for larger samples and long-term follow-up to validate these findings.