Running in people with cerebral palsy: A systematic review

Running is a fundamental motor skill which is important for participation in recreational activities throughout the lifespan.

To identify, appraise, and synthesize the evidence related to running in people with cerebral palsy (CP).

A search of electronic databases was conducted in April 2016. Articles were reviewed by two assessors and had to meet the following criteria: 1) population included people with CP; and 2) included information about running. Articles were assessed for quality using the Checklist for Measuring Study Quality by Downs and Black.

Of 2607 articles initially identified, 56 underwent full-text review and 17 were included. Quantitative analysis was not possible. The quality of descriptive studies was fair-good, while intervention studies scored poor-good. Four of the 12 descriptive studies reported kinematic and kinetic data. Five intervention studies included running as an outcome measure, although running was not the focus of intervention. A few studies showed that sprint speed, agility, and running efficiency are impaired in people with CP, but mechanisms underlying these impairments have yet to be reported.

Research on running in people with CP is limited, methodology and findings are inconsistent and studies are generally fair quality. Further investigation is warranted.