scholarly journals Effectiveness of Physiotherapy Applying Atlant Suit for Children with Cerebral Palsy

Author(s):  
Lina Varnienė ◽  
Lina Kazlauskaitė ◽  
Juozas Raistenskis ◽  
Laima Mikulėnaitė ◽  
Tomas Aukstikalnis ◽  
...  

Research background. One of the newest children’s cerebral palsy abilitation techniques are special neuro – orthopedic suits, which are used in physiotherapy procedures. “Atlant” suit rehabilitation has been introduced relatively recently, and it has not yet been extensively studied, especially in comparison with other methods. In Lithuania, this treatment method was introduced only a year ago. There is still lack of information about these suits effect on the motor skills of children with cerebral palsy. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapy using Atlanto suit for children with cerebral palsy. Methods. The research included 20 subjects, 14 boys and 6 girls. Participants were divided into two groups: experimental and control (10 children each). Participants were evaluated twice; at the beginning and at the end of rehabilitation. Points of evaluation included: • lower limb muscle tone (according to the modified Asworth scale); • range of joint motion (goniometry); • balance and gait (according Tinetti scale); • gross motor function (according to the gross motor measure scale – GMFM-88). Results. The study showed that the experimental group, where “Atlant” suit was used figures were statistically significantly higher (p < 0.05) assessing: evaluating the changes of muscle tone; changes of balance and gait and changes of gross motor functions, in comparison with the control group, which did not apply to neuro – orthopedic suit. Evaluated figures changes of joint range of motion for the experimental and control groups it was established that they did not differ statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion. Physiotherapy combined with “Atlant” suit is more effective than conventional methods of physiotherapy treatment, improving children’s, suffering from cerebral palsy, general motor function, balance and gait and also muscle tone reduction.Keywords: children, cerebral palsy, “Atlant” suit.

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Bryant ◽  
Terry Pountney ◽  
Heather Williams ◽  
Natalie Edelman

Objective: To determine the effect of a six-week exercise intervention on gross motor function for non-ambulant children with cerebral palsy. Design: A parallel arm randomized controlled trial. Setting: Four special schools. Participants: Thirty-five children aged 8–17 with bilateral cerebral palsy; Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV–V. Method: Participants were randomly allocated to a static bike group, a treadmill group or control group. Participants in the bike and treadmill groups received exercise training sessions, three times weekly for six weeks. The control group received their usual care. Blinded assessments were performed at baseline and six weeks and followed up at 12 and 18 weeks. Outcome measures: Gross Motor Function Measures GMFM-66, GMFM-88D and GMFM-88E. Results: At six weeks significant differences were found in GMFM-88D scores between the bike group and the control group, and the treadmill group and the control group ( P < 0.05). The mean change (SD) in GMFM-88D score was 5.9 (6.8) for the bike group; 3.7 (4.4) for the treadmill group and 0.5 (1.9) for the control group. No significant differences were found for GMFM-66 or GMFM-88E scores between the bike group and control group, or the treadmill group and control group, although trends of improvement were observed for both exercise groups. The improvements observed declined during the follow-up period. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence that exercising on a bike or treadmill may provide short-term improvements in gross motor function for non-ambulant children with cerebral palsy. This needs to be tested in a large-scale randomized trial.


2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
pp. 21-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Hahn ◽  
Sheri L. Simkins ◽  
Jacob K. Gardner ◽  
Gaurav Kaushik

The study's aim was to determine the initial effects of a dynamic seating system as a therapeutic intervention in children with cerebral palsy. A two-factor, repeated-measures design was used. Twelve children with neuromuscular dysfunction (mean age 6.0, SD 2.7 years) were included in the study, randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group. At study initiation the experimental group received a wheelchair with dynamic seating components that allows limited range of motion in the hip and knee, and the control group received a static setting wheelchair. Participants were evaluated for range of motion, muscle spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale), motor function (Gross Motor Function Measure), and level of disability (Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory) at study initiation, 3-months, and 6-months post intervention. Both groups improved in motor function over time, particularly in the categories of Sitting and Crawl/Kneel. Measures of disability improved in both groups for the categories of self-care, mobility, and social function. A larger, more homogeneous sample would likely show significant group differences in measures of muscle spasticity, gross motor function and disability.


Author(s):  
Balgayeva Maira ◽  
Bulekbayeva Sholpan

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of combined use of robotic kinesiotherapy and botulinum therapy in the complex rehabilitation of children with spastic diplegia.Methods: In the research, 162 children were participated in the age from 4 to 6 years with spastic diplegia. The main group was carried out using robotic kinesiotherapy with the help of the Lokomat complex and intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin type A (BtA), as a part of complex rehabilitation. Children from the control group received rehabilitative treatment with traditional methods.Results: During the comparative study of groups, higher results were obtained in the main group, where average according to Gross Motor Function Measure 88 increased from 69.99 to 76.41 with a difference of 6.42 points (p=0.0001). In the control group, this indicator increased from 67.01 to 69.41 with a difference of 2.4 points. In the main group, a moderate coupling was noticed between overall motor activity improvement and muscle tone improvement (rs=0.411, p=0.001). Herewith, the correlation was pronounced more with children of the III level in Gross Motor Function Classification System (rs=0.483, p=0.002) in comparison with the II development level (rs=0.304, p=0.042).Conclusion: Research results indicated that the children with spastic diplegia have significant improvement in motor characteristics when the combined applying of robotic walking and botulinum therapy compared with conventional therapy. In our opinion, the data obtained allow to recommend this method as one of the perspective methods of rehabilitation treatment for children with spastic forms of cerebral palsy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-114
Author(s):  
Sema Özandaç Polat ◽  
Ahmet Hilmi Yücel ◽  
Gonca İnce

SummaryStudy aim: This study was performed to investigate the effects of an eight-week multi-model sport activity home programme on function of children with cerebral palsy.Material and methods: The study included 44 patients (11 girls, and 33 boys) aged between 4 and 11 years, having spastic diplegic and hemiplegic cerebral palsy, and receiving physical treatment from the rehabilitation centre. The 44 patients were divided into two groups each consisting of 22 children as the experimental group and control group. The mean age, height and weight were 8.27 ± 2.10 years, 123.36 ± 17.33 cm and 25.45 ± 8.87 kg in the experimental group, while the same parameters were 7.27 ± 2.80 years, 109.36 ± 16.99 cm and 20.20 ± 7.16 kg in the control group. Before taking measurements, the consent forms were signed by the families of patients with CP. The physical therapy programme based on the Bobath NDT method which took forty minutes was applied to both groups two days per week. Also, the multi-model sport activity home programme which took 50 minutes was applied regularly during eight weeks and five days a week in the Experimental Group. The Impact on Family Scale, the Gross Motor Function Classification System, the Gross Motor Function Measure, One Minute Walk Test, the time standing on the left and right foot, and Visual Pain Analog Scale were evaluated before and after the eight-week multi-model sport activity home programme.Results: There were no significant differences in some measurements including the Gross Motor Function Classification System, the Gross Motor Function Measure, One Minute Walk Test, and the time standing on the left and right foot. A significant difference was found only in the Visual Pain Analog Scale (p = 0.003).Conclusion: The effects of the eight-week multi-model sport activity home programme can contribute to a decrease in pain level of children with cerebral palsy.


2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guro Andersen ◽  
Tone R. Mjøen ◽  
Torstein Vik

Abstract This study describes the prevalence of speech problems and the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Norway. Information on the communicative abilities of 564 children with CP born 1996–2003, recorded in the Norwegian CP Registry, was collected. A total of 270 children (48%) had normal speech, 90 (16%) had slightly indistinct speech, 52 (9%) had indistinct speech, 35 (6%) had very indistinct speech, 110 children (19%) had no speech, and 7 (1%) were unknown. Speech problems were most common in children with dyskinetic CP (92 %), in children with the most severe gross motor function impairments and among children being totally dependent on assistance in feeding or tube-fed children. A higher proportion of children born at term had speech problems when compared with children born before 32 weeks of gestational age 32 (p > 0.001). Among the 197 children with speech problems only, 106 (54%) used AAC in some form. Approximately 20% of children had no verbal speech, whereas ~15% had significant speech problems. Among children with either significant speech problems or no speech, only 54% used AAC in any form.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lærke Hartvig Krarup ◽  
Pia Kjær Kristensen ◽  
Louise Strand ◽  
Sofie Langbo Bredtoft ◽  
Inger Mechlenburg ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Helle Hüche Larsen ◽  
Rasmus Feld Frisk ◽  
Maria Willerslev-Olsen ◽  
Jens Bo Nielsen

BACKGROUND: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental disturbance characterized by impaired control of movement. Function often decreases and 15% of adults are classified as severely affected (Gross Motor Function Classification Scale III-V). Little is known about interventions that aim to improve functional abilities in this population. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a 12-week intervention based on motor learning principles on functional ability in adults with severe CP. METHODS: 16 adults (36±10 years, GMFCS III-V) were enrolled and divided into an intervention group (Active group) and a standard care group (Control group). Primary outcome measure was Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88). Secondary measures were neurological status. The Active group were measured at baseline, after the intervention and at one-month follow-up. The Control group were measured at baseline and after one month. RESULTS: Analysis showed statistically significant improvement in GMFM-88 for the Active group from baseline to post assessment compared with the Control group (group difference: 5 points, SE 14.5, p = 0.008, CI: 1.2 to 8.7). Improvements were maintained at follow-up. Results from the neurological screening showed no clear tendencies. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides support that activities based on motor learning principles may improve gross motor function in adults with severe CP.


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