Augmenting Ankle Plantarflexor Function and Walking Capacity in Children With Cerebral Palsy
Northern Arizona University
Summary
The first specific aim is to quantify improvement in ankle muscle function and functional mobility following targeted ankle resistance gait training in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP). The primary hypothesis for the first aim is that targeted ankle resistance training will produce larger improvements in lower-extremity motor control, gait mechanics, and clinical measures of mobility assessed four- and twelve-weeks post intervention compared to standard physical therapy and standard gait training. The second specific aim is to determine the efficacy of adaptive ankle assistance to improve capacity and performance during sustained, high-intensity, and challenging tasks in ambulatory children with CP. The primary hypothesis for the second aim is that adaptive ankle assistance will result in significantly greater capacity and performance during the six-minute-walk-test and graded treadmill and stair stepping protocols compared to walking with ankle foot orthoses and walking with just shoes.
Description
A child's ability to walk effectively is essential to their physical health and general well-being. Unfortunately, many children with cerebral palsy (CP), the most common cause of pediatric physical disability, have difficulty walking and completing higher-intensity ambulatory tasks. This leads to children with CP engaging in levels of habitual physical activity that are well below guidelines and those of children without disabilities, which in turn contributes to many secondary conditions, including metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. There is broad clinical consensus that plant…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 8–21 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Ages between 8 and 21 years old, inclusive. Diagnosis of CP and a pathological gait pattern caused by ankle dysfunction. * Able to understand and follow simple directions (based on parent report, if needed) and walk at least 30 feet with or without a walking aid (Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Level I-III). * At least 20° of passive plantar-flexion range of motion. Exclusion Criteria: * Concurrent treatment other than those assigned during the study. * A condition other than CP that would affect safe participation. * Surgical intervention within 6 m…
Interventions
- DeviceBiomotum Spark: Robotic ankle assistance
A lightweight assistive wearable ankle robotic device.
- DeviceBiomotum Spark: Robotic ankle resistance
A lightweight resistive wearable ankle robotic device.
- OtherStandard gait training
Standard gait training without a device.
- DeviceAnkle foot orthosis
Standard ankle foot orthosis
- OtherStandard physical therapy
Physical therapy without a device.
- OtherStandard walking
Walking without a device
Location
- Gillette Children's Specialty HealthcareMinneapolis, Minnesota