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Effects of Antigravity Treadmill Training on Gait, Balance, and Fall Risk in Children With Diplegic Cerebral Palsy
1From the Department of Physical Therapy for Disturbance of Growth and Development in Children and its Surgery, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
Insights
Antigravity treadmill training significantly improved gait, balance, and reduced fall risk in children with diplegic cerebral palsy. This intervention, combined with physical therapy, showed superior results compared to traditional therapy alone.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Physical Therapy
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Diplegic cerebral palsy (CP) significantly impacts motor function, affecting gait, balance, and increasing fall risk.
- Traditional physical therapy offers benefits but may not fully address all functional deficits in children with CP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of antigravity treadmill training in conjunction with traditional physical therapy for children with diplegic CP.
- To assess the impact of this combined intervention on gait parameters, postural stability, and fall risk.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 30 children with diplegic CP.
- Participants were assigned to either an experimental group (antigravity treadmill training + physical therapy) or a control group (physical therapy alone) for 3 months.
- Gait parameters, balance, and fall risk were measured at baseline and post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in all measured variables (P < 0.05).
- The experimental group exhibited significantly greater improvements in gait velocity, stride length, cadence, and reduced time in double-limb support compared to the control group.
- Specific post-treatment gait parameters showed notable advantages for the antigravity treadmill training group.
Conclusions:
- Antigravity treadmill training, as an adjunct to traditional physical therapy, is a promising intervention for children with diplegic CP.
- This approach can lead to enhanced improvements in gait, balance, and a reduction in fall risk.
- Further research may support its integration into standard rehabilitation protocols.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of antigravity treadmill training on gait, balance, and fall risk in children with diplegic cerebral palsy.
Design:
Thirty children with diplegic cerebral palsy were selected for this randomized controlled study. They were randomly assigned to (1) an experimental group that received antigravity treadmill training (20 mins/d, 3 d/wk) together with traditional physical therapy for 3 successive mos and (2) a control group that received only traditional physical therapy program for the same period. Outcomes included selected gait parameters, postural stability, and fall risk. Outcomes were measured at baseline and after 3 mos of intervention.
Results:
Children in both groups showed significant improvements in the mean values of all measured variables (P < 0.05), with significantly greater improvements in the experimental group than the control group. The posttreatment gait parameters (i.e., velocity, stride length, cadence, and percent of time spent in double-limb support) were 0.74 m/sec, 119 steps/min, 0.75 m/sec, 0.65 sec, and 55.9% as well as 0.5 m, 125 steps/min, 0.6 m/sec, 0.49 sec, and 50.4% for the experimental and control group, respectively.
Conclusions:
Antigravity treadmill training may be a useful tool for improving gait parameters, balance, and fall risk in children with diplegic cerebral palsy.
