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Effectiveness of treadmill training on gait function in children with cerebral palsy: meta-analysis
1Department of Physical Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Korea.
Insights
Treadmill training significantly improves gait endurance, speed, and limb support time in children with cerebral palsy (CP). However, improvements in cadence and step length were not statistically significant.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder affecting motor function.
- Gait impairment is a primary challenge for children with CP, impacting their mobility and quality of life.
- Treadmill training is a widely explored intervention for improving motor function in various pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and analyze the effects of treadmill training on gait function in children with cerebral palsy.
- To evaluate the impact of treadmill training on specific gait parameters including endurance, speed, limb support time, cadence, and step length.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (CINAHL, Cochrane, PEDro, PubMed, Web of Science).
- Included studies involved children with cerebral palsy undergoing treadmill training.
- Meta-analysis was performed using standardized mean differences to pool outcomes from eight studies with 179 participants.
Main Results:
- Treadmill training demonstrated a moderate effect size (0.53) on overall gait function in children with CP.
- Significant improvements were observed in gait endurance (effect size 0.85), gait speed (0.52), and limb support time (0.73).
- Improvements in cadence (0.14) and step length (0.21) were not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Treadmill training is an effective intervention for enhancing key aspects of gait function in children with cerebral palsy.
- The intervention particularly benefits gait endurance, speed, and limb support time.
- Further research may be needed to optimize treadmill protocols for improving cadence and step length in this population.
Abstract:
The purpose of this review was to analysis the effects of treadmill training on gait function in children with cerebral palsy. Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), PubMed and Web of Science were searched. Investigating the effects of treadmill training on gait endurance, gait speed, limb support time, cadence, and step length in children with cerebral palsy. Similar outcomes were pooled by calculating the standardized mean difference. Of the eight studies, 179 participants were included. The average PEDro score was 6.25/10. The results of the sensitivity test for bias evaluation using the duval and tweedie's trim and fill method showed low publication bias. The test regarding the effect of treadmill training on overall gait function yielded a moderate effect size of 0.53, which was a statistically significant effect as its confidence interval did not include. The overall effect size of gait endurance was 0.85. The overall effect size of gait speed and limb support time were 0.52 and 0.73. The overall effect size of cadence and step length were 0.14 and 0.21, indicating a nonsignificant improvement. These findings suggested that treadmill training on cerebral palsy was effective for gait endurance, gait speed and limb support time than cadence and step length.
