Cerebral Palsy Clinical Trials

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physical disability in early childhood causing serious motor and sensory impairments. Effective interventions for the recovery of motor functions are of profound significance to children with CP, their families, caregivers, and health professionals. Robot-assisted rehabilitation represents a frontier with potential to improve motor functions and induce brain reorganization in children with CP. Read Less

The investigators hope to use MRI biomarkers to identify and characterize sensorimotor network disruption patterns associated with chronic pain and sensory deficits in CP. Investigators will use existing information in the medical record as well as subjective reports from interview, physical exam data, and anatomical and functional MRI data to non-invasively identify brain injury correlates of pain and sensory deficits. Read Less

Robot assisted gait training is seen as a promising intervention for improving the walking abilities of children with cerebral palsy, but research to support its effectiveness compared to best practice physical therapy is lacking. This research consists of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a qualitative descriptive study that is linked with the RCT. The goal of the RCT is to compare: 1) a walking training program with the Lokomat® robotic device (LOK), 2) a functional physical therapy program (fPT) that includes activities to enhance balance/co-ordination/endurance and advanced motor skills conducted over 'real ground', 3) a combined Lokomat® + functional physical therapy (LOK+fPT) program, and 4) a regular maintenance therapy condition (CONT) for ambulatory children and youth with CP (aged 5- 18 years). The three intervention programs will consist of sixteen 50-minute sessions given twice weekly over 8 to 10 weeks. The primary objective of the RCT is to compare the four groups with respect to walking-related motor skills as measured by the Gross Motor Function Measure. The secondary objectives are to compare each intervention's impact on walking abilities, individualized goals, fitness, balance, physical activity levels, child's belief in ability to do physical activity, participation and quality of life. The investigators will also evaluate the extent of carryover or progress 3 months after the intervention. The qualitative part of the study will consist of interviews of children and parents after they have finished the study intervention. The information from the interviews will assist us with interpretation of the outcome results (areas of impact and amount of change) from the RCT. In particular, the interviews will 1) provide insight into their experiences with the trial interventions, 2) identify the mobility-related outcomes that are important to families and the factors that influence their preferences, and 3) explain the family values, experiences and contextual factors that influenced participation in the study. This research will provide information needed to allow clinicians and families to make informed choices about Lokomat therapy and physical therapy options in relation to their child's functional goals and abilities. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a light electrical stimulation to leg muscles and joints can help people with Cerebral Palsy (CP) maintain balance during everyday tasks such as getting up from a chair and walking. Children and young adults with CP can have trouble with daily tasks such as standing up, sitting down on the chair and turning. The difficulty in maintaining balance sometimes lead to falls. This raises risk of disability in CP as children age into teens and adults. Current treatments are not very effective. In this study, children and young adults will be asked to stand up from a stool, walk in a straight line, turn, walk back and sit down on the stool. Participants will receive electrical stimulation at a very low intensity that cannot be felt to help increase their sensory perception. The investigators will evaluate treatment by testing balance, and other functional measures. Read Less

The purpose of the proposed project is to compare the efficacy of two fully developed physical therapy interventions in 8-24 months olds with or at high risk of having Cerebral Palsy (CP). Sitting Together And Reaching To Play (START-Play) targets sitting, reaching and motor-based problem solving in infancy to improve global development. Usual Care Physical Therapy (UCPT) focuses on advancing motor skills and preventing impairments. Read Less

Ambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP) walk predominately in low intensity stride rates with little variability, thus limiting their walking activity and ability to participate in daily life. In contrast, typically developing (TD) children engage in short bursts of intense walking activity interspersed with varying intervals of low intensity walking within daily life. In order to optimize motor learning, active participation, task-specific training and multiple repetitions or massed practice is required to learn new motor skills. Short bursts of vigorous intensity locomotor treadmill training (SBLTT) alternating with low/moderate intensity was specifically designed to mimic activity patterns of TD children in a massed practice format. Pilot data suggests that SBLTT is feasible and enhances walking capacity and performance in daily life for children with CP. This project will examine the effect of SBLTT versus an equivalent dosage of traditional locomotor treadmill training (TLTT) on the primary outcomes of walking capacity and performance in children with CP and whether the effects of SBLTT on walking capacity and performance are mediated by improvements in in muscle power generation. The scientific premise is that SBLTT, that approximates the walking intensity patterns of typically developing (TD) children through a home-based massed practice protocol, will be more effective than TLTT in improving walking capacity and performance. We hypothesize that SBLTT strategies for children with CP modeled on walking patterns of TD children, will be positively mediated by muscle power generation and subsequently improve walking capacity and community walking performance and mobility. Specific aims. Aim #1. Determine the immediate and retention effects of short-burst interval LTT (SBLTT) on walking capacity in ambulatory children with CP. Aim #2. Examine the effects of treatment on community-based walking activity performance and mobility. Aim #3. Explore whether the effects of SBLTT on walking capacity and performance are mediated by muscle power generation. The proposed research will be the first step in a continuum of research that is expected to direct locomotor training protocols and rehab strategies across pediatric disabilities and positively effecting the community walking performance and mobility for children with CP. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of an intensive activities-based locomotor training program as compared to traditional physical therapy on activity, participation, and central and peripheral neurophysiological adaptation in children with cerebral palsy. Read Less

Whole-body vibration (WBV) and treadmill training (TT) are commonly-utilized rehabilitation interventions for children with neuromotor disorders. WBV has been shown in the literature to positively affect gait and lower body spasticity in this population. However, the effects of a single session of WBV are generally transient, lasting between ten minutes and two hours. Thus, it may be necessary to combine WBV with another intervention to reinforce improved movement patterns and maximize its potential benefits. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the addition of a single bout of WBV to a single bout of TT on the lower extremity spasticity and gait parameters of ambulatory children with CP. Read Less

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. Read Less

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. Read Less

This feasibility study looks to evaluate ankle exoskeleton assistance in community settings for individuals with cerebral palsy. Read Less

The study purpose is to document the typical trajectory of perioperative pain experience in Cerebral Palsy (CP) and to identify important predictive factors for the development of chronic postsurgical pain. The main aims of the investigators are to: Quantify the trajectory of pain and opioid use in the context of orthopedic surgery in children with CP. Identify predictors for CPSP in children with CP and develop an applicable risk index. Examine relationships between perioperative pain severity and functional/mobility outcomes achieved by orthopedic surgery in children with CP. Participants will complete: Questionnaires/Surveys via email and text message In-person Sensory Tests In-person Gait and Motion Analysis Read Less