Spastic Cerebral Palsy (sCP) Clinical Trial
Official title:
Stop Tip-toeing Around Toe-walking: Towards a Better Understanding and More Effective Treatment of Toe-walkers With Cerebral Palsy
The purpose of this study is to explore the interplay among nervous-, musculoskeletal-, and psychological systems and how they impact toe-walking behavior, and vice versa. Sub-Project 1 is to analyze the feasibility of the developed virtual reality (VR) environment, in 10 TD and sCP children respectively. It is assess the effects of VR immersion on predefined static and dynamic stability parameters. Sub-Project 2: After adjustments have been made following Sub-Project 1 regarding the study procedure, technical factors or the parameters of interest etc., the optimized study procedure is implemented in Sub-Project 2 (20 to 25 TD will be included). Sub-Project 3: After adjustments have been made following Sub-Project 1 regarding the study procedure, technical factors or the parameters of interest etc., the optimized study procedure is implemented in Sub-Project3 (20 to 25 sCP will be included)
The interplay between the nervous-, musculoskeletal-, and psychological systems and their impact on resulting walking patterns are poorly understood. Children that toe-walk often show poorer levels of static and dynamic stability, leading to a lower quality of life compared to typically develop-ing children (TD). Current research suggests multifactorial adaptations in central and/or peripheral nervous as well as the musculoskeletal system contribute to and result from toe-walk-ing. The purpose of this study is to explore the interplay among nervous-, musculoskeletal-, and psychological systems and how they impact toe-walking behavior, and vice versa. The effect of psychological factors (via the use of a custom-designed virtual reality environment) on static vs. dynamic stability, motor control, coordination (indirect assessment of central nervous system function) as well as reflex control (Hoffmann-reflex, H-reflex, performance of peripheral nervous system) is investigated. ;