Papers
14
Total Citations
305
H-Index
9
About
Akira Matsumura is a prominent rehabilitation medicine researcher whose work centers on robotic-assisted gait training, neurological recovery, and the clinical application of wearable exoskeleton technology. He has established himself as a leading investigator in the use of the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL), a bioelectrically-controlled robot suit, across a diverse range of neurological and musculoskeletal conditions. Matsumura's most significant contributions lie in demonstrating the safety and efficacy of HAL-based rehabilitation for patients with stroke, spinal cord injury, spinal cord infarction, cervical myelopathy, and cerebral palsy. His 2016 pilot study on subacute stroke patients (41 citations) helped establish foundational evidence for robotic gait training in acute rehabilitation settings, while his investigations into spinal cord infarction and quadriplegia expanded the technology's clinical reach considerably. Notably, his 2020 study examining muscle synergy symmetry (35 citations) bridged neuroscience and rehabilitation, offering deeper mechanistic insight into how exoskeleton training reorganizes the central nervous system post-stroke. Collectively accumulating over 285 citations, Matsumura's body of work has meaningfully shaped how clinicians approach technology-assisted rehabilitation, particularly in Japan's rapidly aging population, where conditions like locomotive syndrome present growing public health challenges.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10