Robot suit aims to keep ALS patients walking longer

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (defined according to the El Escorial criteria: possible, probable or definite), at the time of diagnosis * Male or female, between 18 and 70 years of age * Slowly and moderately evolving patients ∆ ALS Progression rate (FS) ≤ 1.11 (The ALS progression rate was calculated as follows: (48 - ALSFRS-R at screening visit) / (duration from onset to this visit (month)) (Kimura et al., 2006). ALSFRS-R progression will be classified as slow (∆FS ≤ 0.47), intermediate (0.47 ≤ ∆PR ≤1.11) or fast (∆PR \> 1.11) (Labra et al., 2016). * Manual muscle testing ≥ 3 for deltoid muscle and ≥ 4 for neck flexors and extensors muscles * Ambulatory status: a stable gait deficit with a total score between 3 and 6 on the ALSFRS-R sub-items "walking" and "climbing stairs" * French speaking patient * Patient affiliated with the French social security system * Signed informed consent * Measurements related to the use of the Atalante exoskeleton: * Height between 155 and 190 cm * Weight \< 90 kg * Pelvis width \< 46 cm in seated position * Thigh length between 56.8 and 64.8 cm * Leg length \> 45.7cm or less than: * 60.7cm if ankle dorsi flexion is ≥16° * 57.7cm if ankle dorsi flexion is ≥13°and \<16° * 56.7cm if ankle dorsi flexion is\>10°and ≤13° * 55.7cm if ankle dorsi flexion is ≥ 0°and ≤10° * Joint amplitudes of lower limbs : * Hip: flexion 90°, extension 5°, medial rotation 10°, lateral rotation 20°, abduction 17°, adduction 10° * Knee: flexion 5-110° * Ankle: dorsiflexion (knee straight) 0°, plantarflexion 9°, eversion18°, inversion 18°. Exclusion Criteria: * Osteoporosis at the femoral and/or lumbar level (T score ≤ -2.5), confirmed by bone densitometry at both the femoral and lumbar sites. * Pressure ulcers in areas of contact with the exoskeleton * Severe spasticity (greater than Ashworth 3) for adductor, hamstring, quadriceps and sural triceps muscles or uncontrolled clonus * Cardiac or respiratory contraindications to physical effort * Cognitive impairment that can affect comprehension * Pregnancy or attempted pregnancy