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Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Cerebral Palsy

Long Term Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Gait and Functional Balance Skills in Cerebral Palsy

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05136716
Enrollment
39
Registered
2021-11-29
Start date
2020-09-02
Completion date
2021-11-13
Last updated
2021-12-10

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

Conditions

Cerebral Palsy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Keywords

Spastic cerebral palsy, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Functional Balance, Gait parameters

Brief summary

Abnormal gait is a common issue in children with CP. As a result of motor weakness and a lack of voluntary motor control. Furthermore, gait in children with cerebral palsy is characterized by a slower walking speed, a shorter stride length, and more time spent in double support. Deficits in postural control constitute a major limitation to the motor development in children with CP. The performance of static and dynamic tasks, such as sitting, standing, and walking, is limited in these children due to postural instability. Postural control deficits in CP are caused by altered sensory processing, motor impairment, and biomechanical alignment, which result in altered neuromuscular responses. HBO2 therapeutic benefits in CP are attributed to an increase in dissolved oxygen in plasma and tissue, which aids tissue regeneration, So, the purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on spatiotemporal gait parameters and functional balance skills in children with CP.

Detailed description

This was a randomized clinical trial. Thirty-nine children with spastic cerebral palsy with ages ranging from 5 to 10 years referred from local pediatric rehabilitation centers participated in this study. All children were classified randomly using sealed envelopes into two groups (Control and Study groups). The children in the control group received traditional physical therapy and the study group received the same traditional physical therapy in addition to hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Written informed consent from the child's legal guardian was obtained. The study was authorized by the Ethics Committee for Research at Cairo University in accordance with the ethical standards of the Declaration of Helsinki. PBS was used to assess functional balance and GAITRite was used to assess spatiotemporal gait parameters. Measurements of functional balance and spatiotemporal gait parameters were taken three times: at the start of the intervention, eight weeks later, and six months after cessation of HPO2 therapy to assess the long-term effect.

Interventions

OTHERTraditional Physical Therapy

Stretching for tight muscles, strengthening for weak muscles, postural reactions training, proprioceptive training, and walking training were all part of the neurodevelopmental treatment plan.

DEVICEHyperbaric oxygen therapy

HBO2 therapy at a pressure of 1.7 atm For 60 minutes, participants breathed 100% O2.

Sponsors

Batterjee Medical College
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
5 Years to 10 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* medically free by their doctor. * being able to tolerate a hyperbaric oxygen hood. * being able to blow through a straw, or swallow on command. * having spasticity ranging from 1 to 1+ on the Modified Ashworth Scale * level I or II on the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). * being capable of understanding and following instructions

Exclusion criteria

* Previous HBO treatments. * botulinum toxin A treatments. * thoracic surgery within 6 months. * major changes to spasticity medications within 3 months. * unstable epilepsy. * pulmonary dysfunction. * cardiovascular disease

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Velocity (cm/s)6 monthsChange of the velocity was measured using GAITRite System
Stride Length (cm)6 monthsChange of the stride length was measured using GAITRite System
Double leg support (% of gait cycle)6 monthsChange of the double leg support was measured using GAITRite System
Functional Balance skills (score)6 monthsChange of balance scores was measured using pediatric balance scale. PBS collect scores for the 14 tasks assessed. The tasks are scored on a five-point scale (0, 1, 2, 3 or 4), with zero denoting an inability to perform the activity without assistance and four denoting the ability to perform the task with complete independence. Score range from 0 to 56, with higher scores indicating better postural control

Countries

Saudi Arabia

Outcome results

None listed

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