Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 6, 2025
Assessment of the Efficacy of An Osteopathic Treatment in Infants with Biomechanical Impairments to Suckling
Published on: February 5, 2019
Effects of a Head Support on Children with Hypotonia in the Cervical Spine
Insights
Children with hypotonia gain better head control and functional skills using external head supports. Measuring forces on these supports reveals significant improvements in head movement and activity levels over time.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Neuromuscular disorders
- Assistive technology
Background:
- Children with hypotonia, particularly those with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Level V, struggle with cervical spine muscle weakness, leading to poor head control.
- External head supports are commonly used to aid upright head posture, potentially facilitating functional head movements.
- Previous research focused on functional outcomes but lacked quantitative analysis of forces acting on head support devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between functional skill development and the forces exerted on an external head support in children with hypotonia (GMFCS Level V).
- To quantify the forces applied to the head support over a 4-month period and correlate them with observed functional improvements.
Main Methods:
- A 4-month observational study involving children with hypotonia (GMFCS Level V).
- Utilized a force sensor integrated into the base of the external head support to record force data.
- Compared force measurements with classroom-based functional performance assessments conducted by occupational and physical therapists.
Main Results:
- Subjects demonstrated significant functional gains, with activity in previously underutilized quadrants increasing by up to 67%.
- Participants showed increased duration of exerting forces exceeding the head's weight in later study weeks.
- A notable increase in the magnitude of peak forces applied to the head support was observed over the study period.
Conclusions:
- External head supports can enhance head movement capabilities in children with GMFCS Level V hypotonia.
- Quantifying forces on head supports provides objective data on skill development and progress towards functional milestones.
- This study highlights the dual benefit of head supports: improving head control and providing measurable insights into a child's functional progress.
Abstract:
Children with hypotonia of the muscles near the cervical spine have reduced head control and are unable to maintain an upright head posture. These children often use an external head support to hold their heads upright. With their head held in the proper position, they often develop more functional head movements. Previous studies have measured functional changes to subjects using the head support but have not studied the forces exerted on the head support. This study observes subjects with GMFCS Level V and their functional skills alongside the forces exerted on the head support over a 4-month period. A force sensor attached to the base of the head support was used to collect force data to compare with classroom observations of the child's functional performance by occupational and physical therapists. Subjects showed an increase of up to 67% in quadrants where they previously had ¡1% activity at the beginning of the study. Each subject had increased time exerting forces greater than the weight of the head in later weeks of data recording as well as increased peak forces magnitude. Studying the functional impacts of subjects using a head support with measured forces can highlight important aspects of skill development and progress towards milestones for children with hypotonia.Clinical Relevance- While using a head support, children with GMFCS Level V are able to maximize their head movement which helps them develop functional skills.
More Related Videos
07:30A Test Bed to Examine Helmet Fit and Retention and Biomechanical Measures of Head and Neck Injury in Simulated Impact
Published on: September 21, 2017
06:30Assessment of Static Graviceptive Perception in the Roll-Plane using the Subjective Visual Vertical Paradigm
Published on: April 28, 2020
Related Concept Videos
01:19Muscles that Move the Head
The bilateral sternocleidomastoid, or SCM, and the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscles are significant head flexors. The SCM muscles originate at the sternum and clavicle and attach to the mastoid process of the temporal bone. The SCM contracts bilaterally to bend the head forward, whereas...
01:16Vertebral Column: Regions and Curvature
Regions of the Vertebral Column
In an adult, the spine is subdivided into five regions: the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, the sacral, and the coccygeal region. The spine initially develops as a series of 33 vertebrae; after 20 years of age, the nine bones in the sacral region, five sacral, and four coccygeal bones fuse to form...
01:28Articulations of the Vertebral Column