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Robot-assisted gait training improves walking and cerebral connectivity in children with unilateral cerebral palsy
Background Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) is promising to help walking rehabilitation in cerebral palsy, but training-induced neuroplastic effects have little been investigated. Methods Forty unilateral cerebral palsy children aged 4–18 years were randomly allocated in a monocentric study to te...
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Published in: | Pediatric research 2024-10, Vol.96 (5), p.1306-1315 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | Background
Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) is promising to help walking rehabilitation in cerebral palsy, but training-induced neuroplastic effects have little been investigated.
Methods
Forty unilateral cerebral palsy children aged 4–18 years were randomly allocated in a monocentric study to ten 20-minute RAGT sessions with the G-EO system, five days a week (
n
= 20) or to a control group (who continued conventional care with six 30-minute physiotherapy sessions, three days a week) (
n
= 20), two weeks running, from September 2020 to December 2021. Clinical and MRI outcomes were compared before and one month after therapy. The primary outcome was gait speed. Secondary outcomes were a 6-minute walking test distance, Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88) dimensions D and E, Patient Global Impression of Improvement, resting-state functional connectivity within the sensorimotor network, and structural connectivity in the corticospinal tracts.
Results
Gait speed and the 6-minute walking test distance improved more after RAGT. Resting-state functional connectivity increased after RAGT but decreased in controls between superior and lateral healthy or lateral injured sensorimotor networks. GMFM-88 and structural connectivity in corticospinal tracts were unchanged. Impression of improvement in children was better after RAGT.
Conclusion
Short-term benefit of repetitive RAGT on walking abilities and functional cerebral connectivity was found in unilateral cerebral palsy children.
Impact statement
Short-term repetitive robot-assisted gait training improves gait speed and walking resistance and increases cerebral functional connectivity in unilateral cerebral palsy.
GMFM dimensions D and E were unchanged after short-term repetitive robot-assisted gait training in unilateral cerebral palsy. |
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ISSN: | 0031-3998 1530-0447 1530-0447 |
DOI: | 10.1038/s41390-024-03240-1 |