A home-based body weight supported treadmill training program for children with cerebral palsy: A case series

ABSTRACT

Background and Purpose: Contemporary approaches to the treatment of cerebral palsy (CP) advocate a task-specific approach that emphasizes repetition and practice of specific tasks. Recent studies suggest that body-weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) programs may be beneficial in clinical settings. The purposes of this case series were to explore the outcomes and feasibility of a home-based BWSTT program for three children with CP. Case Description: Three children with CP at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Levels III or IV participated in this case series. Examination included the Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ), the 10-meter walk test, the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66), and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT). A harness system was used to conduct the BWSTT program over an 8–12 week period. Outcomes: All of the families reported enjoying the BWSTT program and found the harness easy to use. Participant 2 increased from a 2 to a 4 on the FAQ, while Participant 3 increased from a 6 to a 7. Discussion: Two of the participants demonstrated post-intervention improvements in functional mobility. In addition to mobility outcomes, future research should explore the potential health benefits of a home-based BWSTT program.

KEYWORDS:

• Body-weight-supported treadmill training
• case report
• cerebral palsy
• functional mobility

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.