Giffords 'can stand and use iPad'

US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords can stand and use an iPad, according to doctors.

Her family are preparing to move her from intensive care Tucson, Arizona, to a rehabilitation centre in Houston, Texas, as she continues to recover from a bullet wound to the brain.

Mrs Giffords' swift transition from an intensive care unit to a rehabilitation centre is based on the latest research, which shows that the sooner rehabilitation starts, the better patients recover.

Her husband Mark Kelly said: "I am extremely confident that she's going to be back here and back at work soon. She is a fighter like nobody else that I know."

Giffords' progress was evident on Wednesday as she stood on her feet with assistance from medical staff, the hospital said.

It is unclear if she is able to speak or how well she can see, and while she is moving both arms and legs, it remains uncertain how much strength she has on her right side.

A gunman shot Giffords and 18 other people on January 8 as she met with constituents outside a grocery store in Tucson.

Six people died and 12 were wounded. All survivors have been released from hospital except Giffords.

The suspect in the attack, Jared Loughner, of Tucson, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Tucson on Wednesday, accused of attempting to assassinate Giffords and trying to kill two of her aides.