Feasibility of an In-home Standing and Walking Intervention for Infants With and at High Risk of Cerebral Palsy
University of Southern California
Summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and begin to evaluate the effect of an intensive in-home standing and walking intervention for infants with or at high risk of cerebral palsy.
Description
Seventy percent of children with cerebral palsy (CP) will walk, yet walking occurs much later than typically-developing children and may require use of a walker or crutches. The walking impairment is caused by an early lesion to the motor areas of the brain which disrupts the formation of appropriate neural connections, specifically projections of the corticospinal tract from the motor cortex to spinal cord motor circuits. The critical period of lower extremity neuromotor development, when intervention is expected to be most effective, begins before 12 months of age with the establishment of a…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 0–2 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Infants with or at high risk of cerebral palsy (CP) who either: * have been diagnosed with CP by a medical professional, or * are at high risk of CP defined as having both: * clinical brain imaging indicating CP, such as (i) white matter injury (cystic periventricular leukomalacia or periventricular hemorrhagic infarctions), (ii) hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, or (iii) neonatal stroke, and * a score less than 63 or more than 5 asymmetries on the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE). Exclusion Criteria: * prenatal substance abuse, * congeni…
Interventions
- BehavioralIn-home standing and walking intervention
Parents/legal guardians will be educated on and provided an activity booklet on intensive standing and walking play activities for their infant in a 9 by 9 foot body-weight support system (BWS). Activities include: squatting play at a couch or table, cruising along and between furniture, walking with a push toy or with one or two hands held, walking without support, and kicking and throwing a soft ball. For 16 weeks, parents/legal guardians will be encouraged to implement the parent-led, intensive standing and walking intervention using BWS for at least 5 days/week for 30-60 min/day, with weekly telehealth calls and monthly home visits to coach parents in identifying key activities and progressing the program.
Location
- University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California