Keywords
disorders of consciousness, spasticity, orthostatic hypotension, RTT
ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION
Verticalization is a common therapeutic intervention during rehabilitation of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC). The Erigo®Pro is a robotic tilt-table (RTT) with built-in stepping unit for the lower extremities to prevent orthostatic hypotension during verticalization. In addition, the system also provides functional electrical stimulation (FES) of muscles of the lower extremities. In this randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT), 47 patients with subacute DoC received a 4-week verticalization regime (16 verticalization sessions) and were allocated to one of three experimental groups: (1) verticalization by means of RTT with FES, (2) by means of RTT without FES, or (3) by conventional physiotherapy (CPT). Level of consciousness (LoC), spasticity, functional independence in daily activities, and functional brain connectivity measured by means of high-density quantitative EEG were assessed at baseline, directly after the verticalization program and after 6 months. There was a similar clinical improvement in all three experimental groups. RTT was not associated with an effect on any of the clinical outcomes. Verticalization or mobilization time during the study period was significantly positively correlated with recovery of consciousness (rho = 0.494, Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.