Cerebral Palsy: Short-burst Interval Training

Seattle Children's Healthcare System

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cerebral Palsy Spastic Diplegia

Treatments: Behavioral: Short Burst Interval Locomotor Treadmill Training (SBLTT)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03373890

R21HD077186

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study examines the effect of short burst interval treadmill training in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy. Half the sample will receive 20 sessions of training over 4 weeks, while half will receive the training over 10 weeks.

Full description

Ambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP) experience activity limitations which negatively influence their ability to physically participate in day to day life. Therefore, these children are at greater risk for inactivity and functional decline with age. In contrast, typically developing (TD) children engage in short bursts of intense physical activity interspersed with varying intervals of low and moderate intensity within their natural environment. These physical activity patterns are very different from adult patterns Despite these inherent differences, locomotor treadmill training (LTT) protocols designed to improve walking activity in children with CP simulate adult protocols, consisting of continuous low to moderate walking endurance activity. Body weight supported or robot assisted LTT is based on the underlying premise of modifying neural circuitry via spinal pathways. However, this type of training has not been shown to be more effective than other comparable interventions and presents with significant fiscal and logistical barriers to clinical translation.

This study will determine the effect of short-burst interval LTT without body weight support on the primary outcomes of walking performance and capacity and the secondary outcomes of day-to-day mobility based participation in children with CP with functional walking limitations. To identify key muscular mechanisms associated with improved walking mobility, the investigators will examine the effects of short-burst interval LTT on quadriceps muscle performance and architecture. Secondarily, the study team will collect preliminary data on two LTT dosing frequencies.

Enrollment: 12 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 5 to 12 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Ambulatory children with cerebral palsy Spasticity primary movement disorder Bilateral motor impairment (Diplegia) Gross Motor Function Classification System Levels II and III

Exclusion criteria

• undergone orthopedic or neurosurgery less than 12 months prior injection therapies (phenol, botulinum toxin) less than 3 months prior

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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12 participants in 2 patient groups

Short burst Interval Treadmill Training High Frequency

Experimental group

Description:

Participants receive short burst interval treadmill training for a total of 20 sessions. They are randomized to receive it either 5x/week for 4 weeks

Treatment:

Behavioral: Short Burst Interval Locomotor Treadmill Training (SBLTT)

Short Burst Interval Treadmill Training Low Frequency

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants receive short burst interval treadmill training for a total of 20 sessions. They are randomized to receive it either 2x/week for 10 weeks

Treatment:

Behavioral: Short Burst Interval Locomotor Treadmill Training (SBLTT)