Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy
Conditions
Keywords
Spastic Diplegia, Cerebral Palsy, Children, Adolescents, Strengthening, Endurance
Brief summary
The study is about the effect of an exercise program using stationary bicycling for children with the spastic diplegic form of cerebral palsy. Spastic diplegia is a type of cerebral palsy that involves spasticity or tightness of the leg muscles. We hope to learn whether this type of exercise will allow the children to develop improved strength in the muscles that bend and straighten their knees, enhance their level of physical fitness, improve their ability to walk and improve their ability to perform other activities that are important to them. We hypothesize that children who participate in the stationary cycling intervention will gain strength in the muscles that bend and straighten their knees, will be able to complete a 600 yard walk run test (a test of endurance) more rapidly, and will improve their score on a test of function called the Gross Motor Function Measure (a test designed specifically for children with cerebral palsy).
Interventions
OTHERStationary Cycling
Use of a stationary bicycle for exercise
Sponsors
Physical Therapy Clinical Research Network
University of Southern California
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
7 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* between the ages of 7 and 16 years and engaged in regular education as their primary academic path (children receiving resource help will not be excluded); - ability to follow simple verbal directions; * good or fair selective motor control for at least one limb; and * ability to walk independently, with or without assistive devices, for short distances. The lowest level of walking ability for inclusion is independent walking indoors but limitations outdoors and in the community, requiring the use of a wheelchair in these settings. These criteria for walking ability place subjects in Levels I-III of the Gross Motor Functional Classification System (GMFCS) (Palisano et al., 1997).
Exclusion criteria
* musculoskeletal or neurosurgical surgery or baclofen pump implantation within the past year; * botulinum toxin injections within the past 6 months; * serial casting or new orthotics within the past 3 months; * initiating or increasing oral medications that affect the neuromuscular system, e.g. baclofen, within the past 3 months; * onset of physical therapy, exercise, sport activity, or change in assistive devices for walking within the past 3 months; * inability or unwillingness to maintain age appropriate behavior; * serious medical conditions such as cardiac disease, diabetes, asthma, or uncontrolled seizures; * current participation in a fitness program, that includes a cardiorespiratory endurance exercise, at least one time per week; * significant hip joint contractures so that the hip cannot be passively moved throughout an excursion between 30 and 80 degrees; * significant knee joint contractures so that the knee cannot be passively moved throughout an excursion between 40 and 110 degrees; and * significant ankle joint contractures so that the ankle cannot be passively moved throughout an excursion of -10 to 20 degrees of plantarflexion.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Second Walk Test | Basline and Post Intervention | Timed test to measure the distance a subject walks in 30 seconds. |
| Gross Motor Function Measure-66 (GMFM) | Basline and Post Intervention | Describes gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy. |
| 600 Yard Walk-Run Test | Baseline and Post Intervention | Timed test to show how rapidly the subject can walk or run 600 yards. |
| Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) | Basline and Post Intervention | Questionnaire that assesses health related quality of life |
| Knee Flexor and Knee Extensor Torque | Basline and Post Intervention | Measures strength of the knee flexors and extensor muscles. |
| Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) | Basline and Post Intervention | Questionnaire that assesses quality of life |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gait Analysis will be performed on a subset of the children enrolled. | Basline and Post Intervention | Analyses changes in walking |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed