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Short-term, early intensive power mobility training: case report of an infant at risk for cerebral palsy
Christina B Ragonesi1, James Cole Galloway
1Infant Motor Behavior Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy and Biomechanics and Movement Sciences Program, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA. CLBR@Udel.edu
Insights
Quantifying intensive power mobility training for infants with cerebral palsy is feasible. This approach showed positive short-term effects, enhancing infant mobility and engagement with the equipment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Assistive Technology
- Infant Motor Development
Background:
- Early diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) necessitates timely interventions.
- Power mobility training is crucial for enhancing functional independence in infants with motor impairments.
Observation:
- An 11-month-old infant with significant mobility impairments underwent 14 consecutive daily power mobility training sessions.
- The infant received hand-over-hand assistance to operate a power chair and explored joystick interaction and toys.
- Video analysis was used to quantify mobility measures during training.
Findings:
- Key mobility measures, including joystick interaction frequency and independent movement time, showed improvement across training sessions.
- The infant demonstrated increased success in moving the power chair when prompted.
- The feasibility of quantifying short-term, intensive power mobility training in infants was established.
Implications:
- Early power mobility training is feasible and may offer short-term benefits for infants with CP.
- This case highlights the need to reconsider the timing, methods, and approaches for early power mobility interventions.
- Further research is warranted to optimize power mobility training paradigms for infants.
Purpose:
This case report describes the feasibility of quantifying short-term, intensive power mobility training for an infant soon after a diagnosis of cerebral palsy.
Key Points:
An 11-month-old infant with significant mobility impairments and her parents were filmed during 14 consecutive daily training sessions. The infant moved the power chair with hand-over-hand assistance and performed open exploration of the joystick and toys. Mobility measures, coded from video, were compared across training. Frequency and combination of looking at and interacting with the joystick, percentage of time of moving independently, and average percentage of success in moving when prompted, all increased across the training.
Clinical Implications:
Quantifying short-term, intensive power mobility training for infants is feasible and may have yielded positive short-term effects for this infant. The "who," "when," and "how" of early power mobility training, as well as the critical need for paradigm shifts in power mobility training, are discussed.
