Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026
Clinical-oriented Three-dimensional Gait Analysis Method for Evaluating Gait Disorder
Published on: March 4, 2018
Early gait development in human infants: Plasticity and clinical applications
Caroline Teulier1, Do Kyeong Lee, Beverly D Ulrich
1EA 4532, CIAMS, UFR STAPS, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France. caroline.teulier@u-psud.fr.
Insights
A developmental view on movement plasticity aids early therapy for infants with developmental disabilities. Harnessing natural developmental processes can optimize interventions and improve gait acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Human movement control exhibits significant plasticity during early development.
- Stepping in infants emerges from interactions between maturation and environmental factors.
- Infants with developmental disabilities show unique, yet responsive, developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how a developmental perspective on plasticity can enhance early therapy for infants.
- To improve gait acquisition in infants with developmental disabilities through targeted interventions.
- To leverage natural developmental processes for optimizing early intervention strategies.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of stepping development in healthy infants.
- Observation of infants with developmental disabilities using treadmill support.
- Application of context manipulations, including sensory stimulation and practice.
Main Results:
- Stepping behavior is highly adaptable and influenced by maturation and environment.
- Infants with diverse internal resources demonstrate unique but responsive developmental paths.
- Interventions like sensory stimulation and practice can improve motor behavior.
Conclusions:
- Plasticity in neural, skeletal, and muscle tissues offers opportunities for early intervention.
- Early therapeutic interventions can be optimized by utilizing developmental plasticity.
- A developmental approach can improve gait acquisition and motor outcomes in infants with disabilities.
Abstract:
In this paper we focus on how a developmental perspective on plasticity in the control of human movement can promote early therapy and improve gait acquisition in infants with developmental disabilities. Current knowledge about stepping development in healthy infants across the first year of life highlights strong plasticity, both in behavioral outcome and in underlying neuro-muscular activation. These data show that stepping, like other motor skills, emerges from the interaction between infant's maturation and the environment. This view is reinforced by showing that infants with different internal resources (like genetic disorder or neural tube defect) show unique developmental trajectories when supported on a treadmill, yet do respond. Moreover, we will show that their behavior can be improved by context manipulations (mostly sensory stimulation) or practice. Overall, plasticity in the neural, skeletal, and muscle tissues create new opportunities for optimizing early intervention by creatively tapping into the same developmental processes experienced by healthy infants.
