Validation of a Movement Evaluation System in Cerebral Palsy Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The development and validation of a movement evaluation system for Targeted Training for children with cerebral palsy.
IRAS ID
157263
Contact name
Ian Loram
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Research summary
A primary objective of physiotherapy for adults and children with problems of movement control is to restore function in an upright posture to enable sitting, standing and, if possible, walking. This helps independence and self-esteem. Targeted Training (TT) is a physiotherapy technique used at The Movement Centre (TMC), Oswestry. It seeks to promote postural control in children with cerebral palsy (CP) using an external support to maintain an aligned upright position. Objective tests of function are rare in neurophysiotherapy, as many of the main characteristics of postural control are not easily quantified and thus most of the measurement outcomes remain subjective. A few research reports have used 3D movement analysis to demonstrate postural alignment but these are not transferrable to the routine clinical environment. The first stage of this study will focus on the development of a clinical tool to enable an objective measurement of postural control. Participants for this phase will be young healthy adults, who will be assessed in the motor control laboratories at Manchester Metropolitan University. This will include the use of markers placed on specific points and recorded through a 3D motion capture system and a video camera. There is also the intention to develop a marker free system suitable for use in a clinical context.
The second stage and main objective of this study will be the clinical application of the system. Participants will be children with CP who are currently taking part in a parent/guardian approved course of TT therapy or who are due to commence their therapy. All the children will be assessed at TMC under the supervision of the clinical team and parents/guardians. Children’s data will be used a) to validate the system in this specific population and b) to quantitatively analyse the effects of TT on postural control.REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/SC/1182
Date of REC Opinion
27 Aug 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion