Impact of motor therapy with dynamic body-weight support on Functional Independence Measures in traumatic brain injury: An exploratory study

This study investigates whether using dynamic body-weight support (DBWS) during inpatient rehabilitation can improve functional recovery in adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) compared to standard-of-care (SOC) therapy. The study found that both DBWS and SOC groups showed significant improvement in total Functional Independence Measures (FIM) scores from admission to discharge. The DBWS group had greater improvement in total FIM score and FIM subscales compared to the SOC group, suggesting that DBWS may allow for more intensive therapy and better outcomes.

• 1
  Both the DBWS and SOC groups showed significant improvement in total FIM scores at discharge compared to admission.
• 2
  The DBWS group showed significantly greater improvement on both the motor and cognitive subscales than the SOC group.
• 3
  DBWS was found to produce significant improvements in FIM motor components: self-care, mobility, and locomotion compared to SOC.