Locomotor Assisted Therapy's Influence on Lower Extremity Muscle Activation Patterns in Typically Developing Children and Children With Cerebral Palsy

Effects of different age groups and different external loading distribution on lower extremity muscle activation during obstacle crossing tasks were tested in this study. Four young participants and five healthy senior participants performed different walking tasks at their own speed carrying multiple different weights while their lower extremity muscle activation patterns were recorded and compared. Older adults showed significantly increased muscle activation patterns in obstacle negotiation. Furthermore, participants showed altered lower extremity muscle activation patterns with different load distribution.

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Dynamic Resources Used in Ambulation by Children With Spastic Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy: Relationship to Kinematics, Energetics, and Asymmetries

Physical Therapy ◽

10.1093/ptj/84.4.344 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 84 (4) ◽

pp. 344-354 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Sérgio T Fonseca ◽

Kenneth G Holt ◽

Linda Fetters ◽

Elliot Saltzman

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Palsy ◽

Potential Energy ◽

Lower Extremity ◽

Mechanical Energy ◽

Spastic Cerebral Palsy ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Typically Developing Children ◽

Vertical Stiffness ◽

Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy ◽

Children With Cerebral Palsy

Abstract Background and Purpose. The atypical walking pattern in children with spastic cerebral palsy is assumed to involve kinematic and morphological adaptations that allow them to move. The purpose of this study was to explore how the requirements of the task and the energy-generating and energy-conserving capabilities of children with cerebral palsy relate to kinematic and mechanical energy patterns of walking. Subjects. Six children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy and a matched group of typically developing children participated in the study. Methods. Kinematic data were collected at 5 different walking speeds. Vertical stiffness, mechanical energy parameters, and landing angle were measured during the stance phase. Results. The affected side of the children with cerebral palsy showed greater vertical stiffness, a greater ratio of kinetic forward energy to potential energy, and a smaller landing angle when compared with those of the nonaffected lower extremity and with those of typically developing children. Discussion and Conclusion. Previous research has shown that children with cerebral palsy assumed a gait similar to an inverted pendulum on the nonaffected limb and a pogo stick on the affected limb. Our results indicate that asymmetries between lower extremities and differences from typically developing children in the landing angle of the lower extremity, vertical lower-extremity stiffness, and kinetic and potential energy profiles support the claim that walking patterns in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy emerge as a function of the resources available to them.

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Muscle Activation Patterns When Passively Stretching Spastic Lower Limb Muscles of Children with Cerebral Palsy

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0091759 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. e91759 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Lynn Bar-On ◽

Erwin Aertbeliën ◽

Guy Molenaers ◽

Kaat Desloovere

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Palsy ◽

Lower Limb ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Activation Patterns ◽

Muscle Activation Patterns ◽

Lower Limb Muscles ◽

Children With Cerebral Palsy ◽

Limb Muscles

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High day-to-day repeatability of lower extremity muscle activation patterns and joint biomechanics of dual-belt treadmill gait: A reliability study in healthy young adults

Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology ◽

10.1016/j.jelekin.2020.102401 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 ◽

pp. 102401

Author(s):

Derek James Rutherford ◽

Rebecca Moyer ◽

Matthew Baker ◽

Sara Saleh

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Lower Extremity ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Reliability Study ◽

Activation Patterns ◽

Muscle Activation Patterns ◽

Lower Extremity Muscle ◽

Joint Biomechanics

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A Kinematic and Electromyographic Analysis of Turning in People With Parkinson Disease

Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair ◽

10.1177/1545968308320639 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 166-176 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Minna Hong ◽

Joel S. Perlmutter ◽

Gammon M. Earhart

Keyword(s):

Lower Extremity ◽

Parkinson Disease ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Daily Lives ◽

Activation Patterns ◽

3 Dimensional ◽

Muscle Activation Patterns ◽

Lower Extremity Muscle ◽

Electromyographic Analysis ◽

New Treatments

Background. Parkinson disease frequently causes difficulty turning that can lead to falls, loss of independence, and diminished quality of life. Turning in tight spaces, which may be particularly impaired in Parkinson disease, is an essential part of our daily lives, yet a comprehensive analysis of in-place turning has not been published. Objective. This study was conducted to determine whether there are objective differences in turning between people with Parkinson disease and unimpaired people. Methods. In-place turning with kinematics and electromyographic measures was characterized in 11 participants with Parkinson disease and 12 healthy people. Kinematic data were recorded using a 3-dimensional motion capture system in synchrony with electromyographic data from lower extremity muscles as participants turned 180°. Those with Parkinson disease were tested after overnight withdrawal of medication. Results. Both groups used 2 distinct turning strategies. In one, the foot ipsilateral to the turning direction initiated the turn; in the other, the foot contralateral to the turning direction initiated the turn. Kinematic analysis demonstrated a craniocaudal sequence of turning in the unimpaired group, whereas those with Parkinson disease had a simultaneous onset of yaw rotation of the head, trunk, and pelvis. They also took a longer time and more steps to complete turns. Overall, lower extremity muscle activation patterns appeared similar between groups. Conclusion. Differences between the groups were noted for axial control, but lower extremity muscle patterns were similar. This work may provide the foundation for development of new treatments for turning difficulty in Parkinson disease.

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Effects of Task Constraints on Kinematic Characteristics of Body Segments in Children with Cerebral Palsy and Children with Typical Development during Hand-Reaching

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app112311140 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (23) ◽

pp. 11140

Author(s):

Yun-Huei Ju ◽

Rong-Ju Cherng

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Palsy ◽

Postural Control ◽

Task Demands ◽

Typical Development ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Typically Developing Children ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Postural Alignment ◽

Reaching Tasks ◽

Children With Cerebral Palsy

Background: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have difficulty in managing postural control during functional reaching tasks, although children with different postural control ability are able to come up with different motor solutions to cope with different task demands. This study examined the effect of task constraint on postural control performance in children with cerebral palsy and typical development (TD) in terms of different postural control abilities. Methods: A cross-sectional research design was used. Twelve children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (mean age: 107.8 months) and 16 typically developing children (mean age: 110.9 months) participated in this study. Individually, all subjects were seated in a height-adjusted chair and were requested to reach for target(s) located at three different directions (medial, anterior, and lateral). A six-camera Qualisys Motion Capture System was used to capture motion data. Kinematic data in terms of body alignment and angular changes were analyzed. Results: Children with cerebral palsy demonstrated different postural control strategies to complete different reaching tasks compared to typically developing children by preparing postural alignment in advance, coordinating different body orientation movements during reaching after showing difficulty in managing reach medially. Conclusions: Children with cerebral palsy perceive their insufficient ability and prepare their alignment in advance to adapt to the task demanded and decrease the postural challenges of the task. Even though children with cerebral palsy self-generate different motor solutions to reach without falling, these alternative strategies might not be the most efficient adaptation.

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