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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
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Event-related Potentials During Target-response Tasks to Study Cognitive Processes of Upper Limb Use in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
Published on: January 11, 2016
Walking Environment and Speed Differentially Change More Affected Limb Dynamic Motor Control in Children With
Stephanie N Mace1, Joseph W Harrington1, Vivek Dutt2
1Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska Omaha, USA.
Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair
|June 24, 2026
Summary
Aquatic environments and slow speeds enhance neuromuscular control in children with cerebral palsy (CP) during walking. This suggests new rehabilitation strategies focusing on these conditions for improved motor function.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Biomechanics
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit impaired motor and simplified neuromuscular control during walking.
- Current interventions offer limited improvements in muscle synergies, necessitating novel approaches for motor control enhancement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the acute effects of different walking environments and speeds on the neuromuscular control of the more-affected limb in children with CP.
Main Methods:
- Eight children with CP and 15 typically developing children participated.
- Surface electromyography (EMG) sensors measured lower limb muscle activity.
- Non-negative matrix factorization calculated muscle synergies to define dynamic motor control during walking (walk-DMC) across overground, conventional treadmill, and aquatic treadmill conditions.
Main Results:
- The aquatic environment and slow walking speed significantly increased walk-DMC in children with CP, indicating greater neuromuscular complexity.
- Overground and conventional treadmill walking did not significantly alter walk-DMC scores.
Conclusions:
- Dynamic motor control during walking (walk-DMC) in children with CP is sensitive to acute changes in environment and speed.
- Findings suggest aquatic gait rehabilitation, particularly aquatic treadmill training at slow speeds, warrants further investigation for potential therapeutic benefits.
