To update knowledge about energy cost methods in gait for people with neurological disorders.
We reviewed the following databases: Medline, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, Ovid, the Cochrane Library and Sport Discus up to December 2009.
Those articles in which energy cost was recorded during gait analysis in people with neurological disorders, especially those related to methodological aspects, were selected. A total of 11 articles were located. Six were related to children with cerebral palsy, 1 to traumatic brain injury, 2 to stroke and 2 to spinal cord injury.
Much difference exists in regards to the protocols used to evaluate energy cost of gait in persons with neurological disorders. This type of analysis can be a useful tool to study functional performance in patients with neurological disorders complementary to the biomechanical analysis.