Dual-task training of children with neuromotor disorders during robot-assisted gait therapy: prerequisites of patients and influence on leg muscle activity
Abstract Background Walking in daily life is complex entailing various prerequisites such as leg strength, trunk stability or cognitive and motor dual task (DT) activities. Conventional physiotherapy can be complemented with robot-assisted gait therapy (RAGT) and exergames to enhance the number of s...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12984-018-0426-3 |
| _version_ | 1811209784493342720 |
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| author | Sandra Ricklin Andreas Meyer-Heim Hubertus J. A. van Hedel |
| author_facet | Sandra Ricklin Andreas Meyer-Heim Hubertus J. A. van Hedel |
| author_sort | Sandra Ricklin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Walking in daily life is complex entailing various prerequisites such as leg strength, trunk stability or cognitive and motor dual task (DT) activities. Conventional physiotherapy can be complemented with robot-assisted gait therapy (RAGT) and exergames to enhance the number of step repetitions, feedback, motivation, and additional simultaneously performed tasks besides walking (e.g., dual-task (DT) activities). Although DT gait training leads to improvements in daily ambulation in adult patient groups, no study has evaluated RAGT with a DT exergame in children with neurological gait disorders. Therefore, we investigated children’s functional and cognitive prerequisites to walk physiologically during RAGT with a DT exergame and analysed the influence of DT on leg muscle activity. Methods Children and adolescents (6–18 years) with neurological gait disorders completed RAGT with and without a DT exergame in this quasi-experimental study. We assessed several measures on the body function and activity domains (according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF)) and determined whether these measures could distinguish well between children who walked physiologically during the DT RAGT or not. We measured leg muscle activity with surface electrodes to identify changes in EMG-amplitudes and –patterns. Results Twenty-one children participated (7 females, 6.5–17.3 years, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-IV). Most activity measures distinguished significantly between participants performing the DT exergame physiologically or not with moderate to good sensitivity (0.8 ≤ sensitivity≤1.0) and specificity (0.5 ≤ specificity≤0.9). Body function measures differentiated less well. Despite that the EMG-amplitudes of key stance muscles were significantly lower during DT versus no DT exergaming, the mean activation patterns of all muscles correlated high (ρ > 0.75) between the conditions. Conclusion This study is the first that investigated effects of a DT exergame during RAGT in children with neurological gait disorders. Several performance measures could differentiate well between patients who walked with physiological versus compensatory movements while performing the DT exergame. While the DT exergame affected the leg muscle activity amplitudes, it did not largely affect the activity patterns of the muscles. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:44:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-780b137ddaf74ef1a0e1d57cdb518c6e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1743-0003 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:44:43Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation |
| spelling | doaj.art-780b137ddaf74ef1a0e1d57cdb518c6e2022-12-22T03:47:32ZengBMCJournal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation1743-00032018-09-0115111210.1186/s12984-018-0426-3Dual-task training of children with neuromotor disorders during robot-assisted gait therapy: prerequisites of patients and influence on leg muscle activitySandra Ricklin0Andreas Meyer-Heim1Hubertus J. A. van Hedel2Rehabilitation Centre Affoltern am Albis, University Children’s Hospital ZurichRehabilitation Centre Affoltern am Albis, University Children’s Hospital ZurichRehabilitation Centre Affoltern am Albis, University Children’s Hospital ZurichAbstract Background Walking in daily life is complex entailing various prerequisites such as leg strength, trunk stability or cognitive and motor dual task (DT) activities. Conventional physiotherapy can be complemented with robot-assisted gait therapy (RAGT) and exergames to enhance the number of step repetitions, feedback, motivation, and additional simultaneously performed tasks besides walking (e.g., dual-task (DT) activities). Although DT gait training leads to improvements in daily ambulation in adult patient groups, no study has evaluated RAGT with a DT exergame in children with neurological gait disorders. Therefore, we investigated children’s functional and cognitive prerequisites to walk physiologically during RAGT with a DT exergame and analysed the influence of DT on leg muscle activity. Methods Children and adolescents (6–18 years) with neurological gait disorders completed RAGT with and without a DT exergame in this quasi-experimental study. We assessed several measures on the body function and activity domains (according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF)) and determined whether these measures could distinguish well between children who walked physiologically during the DT RAGT or not. We measured leg muscle activity with surface electrodes to identify changes in EMG-amplitudes and –patterns. Results Twenty-one children participated (7 females, 6.5–17.3 years, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-IV). Most activity measures distinguished significantly between participants performing the DT exergame physiologically or not with moderate to good sensitivity (0.8 ≤ sensitivity≤1.0) and specificity (0.5 ≤ specificity≤0.9). Body function measures differentiated less well. Despite that the EMG-amplitudes of key stance muscles were significantly lower during DT versus no DT exergaming, the mean activation patterns of all muscles correlated high (ρ > 0.75) between the conditions. Conclusion This study is the first that investigated effects of a DT exergame during RAGT in children with neurological gait disorders. Several performance measures could differentiate well between patients who walked with physiological versus compensatory movements while performing the DT exergame. While the DT exergame affected the leg muscle activity amplitudes, it did not largely affect the activity patterns of the muscles.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12984-018-0426-3AdolescentsSurface electromyographyComputer gameExergameLokomatDriven gait orthosis |
| spellingShingle | Sandra Ricklin Andreas Meyer-Heim Hubertus J. A. van Hedel Dual-task training of children with neuromotor disorders during robot-assisted gait therapy: prerequisites of patients and influence on leg muscle activity Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation Adolescents Surface electromyography Computer game Exergame Lokomat Driven gait orthosis |
| title | Dual-task training of children with neuromotor disorders during robot-assisted gait therapy: prerequisites of patients and influence on leg muscle activity |
| title_full | Dual-task training of children with neuromotor disorders during robot-assisted gait therapy: prerequisites of patients and influence on leg muscle activity |
| title_fullStr | Dual-task training of children with neuromotor disorders during robot-assisted gait therapy: prerequisites of patients and influence on leg muscle activity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dual-task training of children with neuromotor disorders during robot-assisted gait therapy: prerequisites of patients and influence on leg muscle activity |
| title_short | Dual-task training of children with neuromotor disorders during robot-assisted gait therapy: prerequisites of patients and influence on leg muscle activity |
| title_sort | dual task training of children with neuromotor disorders during robot assisted gait therapy prerequisites of patients and influence on leg muscle activity |
| topic | Adolescents Surface electromyography Computer game Exergame Lokomat Driven gait orthosis |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12984-018-0426-3 |
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