Slackline Training in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Spastic cerebral palsy (CP) significantly impacts motor function and postural control in children and adolescents.
• Developing effective, engaging interventions to improve motor skills in this population is crucial for enhancing quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a slackline intervention program for enhancing postural control in pediatric patients with spastic CP.
• To assess the impact of slackline training on motor skills and perceived exertion in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 27 children/adolescents (9-16 years) diagnosed with spastic CP.
• Participants were assigned to either a 6-week slackline intervention group (3 sessions/week, 30 min/session) or a control group.
• Primary outcomes included static posturography (center of pressure parameters); secondary outcomes involved lower-limb muscle activity and jump performance.

Main Results:

• The slackline intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in static posturography, specifically in X-axis speed (p = 0.006).
• Participants in the intervention group also showed significant improvements in jump performance, as measured by the Abalakov test (p = 0.015).
• The intervention was rated as "very light" on the rating of perceived exertion scale (RPE = 7.6 ± 0.6), indicating good tolerability.

Conclusions:

• Slackline training is an effective intervention for improving static postural control in children and adolescents with spastic CP.
• The program also enhanced motor skills, as evidenced by improved jump performance.
• The intervention is well-tolerated and perceived as non-fatiguing, suggesting its potential as a valuable therapeutic tool.