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Efficacy of Adding Lower Extremity Weights on Balance and Gait Disturbances in Children with Ataxic Cerebral Palsy: A
Nehad A Abo-Zaid1, Heba A Khalifa2, Tamer M Shousha3,4
1Department of Physical Therapy for Pediatrics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Qena University, Qena, Egypt.
Insights
Adding lower extremity weights significantly improved balance and reduced gait disturbances in children with ataxic cerebral palsy. This intervention enhanced stability and walking patterns in young patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Ataxic cerebral palsy (CP) presents challenges in motor control, including tremors, poor balance, and abnormal gait patterns.
- Children with ataxic CP often struggle with precise movements and maintaining stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of adding lower extremity weights on balance and gait disturbances in children with ataxic cerebral palsy.
- To determine if weighted interventions can mitigate motor control issues in this population.
Main Methods:
- Sixty children (7-12 years) with ataxic CP were randomly assigned to a standard care group or a group receiving standard care plus lower extremity weights.
- Both groups underwent a 3-month treatment protocol (3x/week).
- Balance (Biodex system) and gait parameters (3D motion analysis) were assessed pre- and post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Both groups showed improvements, but the added weight group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in stability indices (overall, mediolateral, anteroposterior), base width, step time, and double support percentage.
- The added weight group also exhibited significant increases in walking speed, cadence, step length, and stride length.
- Improvements in balance and gait were statistically significant in favor of the added weight group (P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Adding small, fixed lower extremity weights is an effective intervention for improving balance in children with ataxic cerebral palsy.
- This intervention also contributes to reducing gait disturbances, enhancing mobility and motor function in ambulant children with ataxic CP.
Abstract:
BackgroundAtaxic cerebral palsy children have hard times controlling their movements. They exhibit tremors, shakiness and struggle with precise movements, balance as well as pattern of gait.ObjectiveTo examine the influence of adding lower extremity weights on balance and gait disturbances in children diagnosed with ataxic cerebral palsy.MethodsSixty children with ataxic cerebral palsy aged from 7 to 12 years participated in this trial after the eligibility assessment. They were randomly allocated to two equal sized groups. The standard care group underwent a designed treatment protocol, while the added weight group received the same designed treatment protocol along with adding lower extremity weights. Children in both groups underwent the same treatment protocols three times per week for a duration of three consecutive months. Biodex balance system and 3D motion analysis (3DMA) were used to evaluate stability indices as primary outcome (overall, mediolateral and anteroposterior), and spatiotemporal gait parameters as secondary outcome (speed, cadence, base width, step length, stride length, step time, and percentage of double support) respectively in both groups at the beginning and after three months of intervention.ResultsPost intervention findings demonstrated a significant reduction in stability indices, base width, step time, and percentage of double support, as well as significant increase in walking speed, cadence, step length, and stride length, in both groups in favor of added weight group (P < 0.05).ConclusionsAdding small fixed lower extremity weights was associated with improvements in balance and reduced gait disturbances in ambulant ataxic cerebral palsy children.
