Brain Change After Fun, Athletic, Sports-skill Training (BeFAST)

Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cerebral Palsy

Treatments: Behavioral: Functional gait-related training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02584491

14-519

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine the associations between changes in neural activity and structure, advanced gross motor skills, gait characteristics, and physical activity participation following a gait-related intervention that is based on motor learning principles for ambulatory children and youth with hemiplegic and diplegic cerebral palsy. The investigators' hypothesis is that in conjunction with a program of motor learning based training, functional neuroplastic changes in the involved motor areas will be strongly associated with changes in gait and advanced gross motor skills, moderately associated with physical activity based participation changes, and will have a fair association with structural neuroplastic change.

Enrollment: 9 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 7 to 17 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 7 to17 years inclusive;
• GMFCS Level I or II;
• Able to follow testing and motor imagery instructions;
• Able to actively participate in a minimum of 45 minutes of physical activity;
• Able to independently dorsiflex both ankles;
• Able to commit to attendance of sessions two to three times weekly for six weeks.

Exclusion criteria

• Orthopaedic surgery within the last 9 months (muscle) or 12 months (bone);
• Botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) injections to lower limb in the last 4 months;
• Inability to discontinue BTX-A for period of 12 weeks (during trial) due to concerns about ROM or pain;
• Severe spasticity (may be a contraindication for neuroimaging procedures);
• Seizure disorder (if not fully controlled by medication for the 12 months);
• Not prepared or unable to discontinue a regular lower limb therapy intervention during the course of the trial;
• Involved in another intervention study;
• Standard MRI contraindications (e.g., metal implants such as cochlear implant, claustrophobia).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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9 participants in 1 patient group

Functional gait-related training

Experimental group

Description:

16 session, 6-week intensive functional gait-related training intervention based on motor learning principles that includes a motor imagery practice component.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Functional gait-related training