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The Effects of Functional Strengthening in Spastic Cerebral Palsy

The Effects of Progressive Functional Ankle Strengthening in Children With Unilateral and Bilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03901703
Enrollment
27
Registered
2019-04-03
Start date
2019-01-12
Completion date
2019-05-30
Last updated
2019-07-30

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Brief summary

Functional strengthening exercises have been proven to be effective in patients with spastic cerebral palsy. However, which exercise is the most effective is unknown. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of three different progressive functional exercise programs in children with unilateral and bilateral spastic cerebral palsy.

Detailed description

Children with Cerebral Palsy have weakness in thier muscles due to cortical lesions leading to deficiencies in motor control, balance and functional abilities. All children with Cerebral Palsy have shown to present with foot and ankle disorders; the ankle dorsi and plantar flexor muscles are both problematic; the plantarflexors are usually spastic and the dorsiflexors are usually not active enough and usually these muscle problems lead to problems in the childrens' gait abilities. When rehabilitation programs are examined, the results of exercises addressing these problems do not have precise answers. Functional strengthening exercises have been proven to be effective in patients with spastic cerebral palsy. However, which exercise is the most effective is unknown. Which muscle goup has the most effect on gait, balance and functional activities is still unclear. Therefore, the investigator's aim in planning this study is to examine the effectiveness of three progressive functional exercise programs in children with unilateral and bilateral spastic cerebral palsy.

Interventions

OTHERPhysiotherapy and Rehabilitation

The children in each group will receive 6 weeks of functional strengthening exercises targeting each muscle group according to the arm they are included in.

Sponsors

Melek Volkan Yazici
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
5 Years to 15 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Accepting to participate in the study, * Being between 5-15 years old, * Having a diagnosis of Spastic Cerebral Palsy, * Being level I-II according to GMFCS,

Exclusion criteria

* Having limited cooperation which prevents participation in the study, * Refusing to participate in the study, * Having an orthopedic disorder or systemic illness which prevents movement in the lower extremities, * Having a Botulinum toxin application in the last 3 months

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pediatric Balance scaleChange of The Pediatric balance scale at 6 weeks.The Pediatric Balance Scale is a modified version of the Berg Balance Scale that is used to assess functional balance skills in children. The scale consists of 14 items that are scored from 0 points (lowest function) to 4 points (highest function) with a maximum score of 56 points.
Surface Electromyography (sEMG)Change of sEMG data at 6 weeks.Surface electromyography is a non-invasive procedure involving the detection, recording and interpretation of the electric activity of groups of muscles during activity. The procedure is performed using electrodes placed on the skin surface over the muscles to be tested. sEMG is also used to assess the effects of rehabilitation programs and evaluate muscular function in children with cerebral palsy. Due to its non-invasive properties it is safely and widely used in the pediatric population.
The Six minute walk testChange of 6 MWT at 6 weeks.The 6-min walk test (6 MWT) is a submaximal exercise test that entails measurement of distance walked over a span of 6 minutes. The 6-minute walk distance (6 MWD) provides a measure for integrated global response of multiple cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal systems involved in exercise. The test has been shown to be valid and reliable in children with Cerebral Palsy.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026