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. 2020 Nov 2;57(10):964–966. doi: 10.1007/s13312-020-2005-5

Effect of Robot-Assisted Gait Training on Selective Voluntary Motor Control in Ambulatory Children with Cerebral Palsy

Dragana Zarkovic 1,, Monika Sorfova 1, James J Tufano 2, Patrik Kutilek 3, Slavka Viteckova 3, Katja Groleger-Srsen 4, David Ravnik 5
PMCID: PMC7605485  PMID: 33089813

Abstract

This pilot study investigated the efficacy of a four week robot-assisted gait training in twelve children with spastic diparesis. Short-term results and a 3-month follow-up showed statistically significantly increased selective motor control, walking farther distances, gross motor score, and decreased joint contractures.

Keywords: Cerebral palsy, Gait, Joint range of motion, Lokomat, Motor control

Contributors

DZ: conducted the research, drafted the work, revising and writing final approval of the version to be published; DZ, JJT, MS, PK, SV, KG-S, DR: substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data for the work; revising the work critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published; agreement with all co-authors to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Funding

Supported by a grant entitled ‘Project FTVS SVV 2017–2019-260346’ from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. This study was written within the program of the institutional support for science at Charles University Progress, No. Q41, Biological aspects of the investigation of human movement. Slovenian Research Agency (research core funding P2-0228)

Footnotes

Competing interests

None stated.

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