A pilot study of the impact of the electro-suit Mollii® on body functions, activity, and participation in children with cerebral palsy

Figures & data

Table 1. Participating children.

Child	Age	GMFCS-level*	Time since last treatment with BoNT	Pain at baseline VAS
1	10	II	3 months	0
2	7	I	5 months	0
3	7	I	3 months	5
4	5	I	5 months	0
5	10	I	>12 months	5, 5
6	7	I	3 months	6

*Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) (Palisano et al., 1992) classifies limitations in gross motor function at five severity levels, from I with least limitations to V with most limitations.

Table 2. Description of participants’ electrode locations and intensity of stimulation.

*Intensity in front					*Intensity back
Child	Thigh R/L	Abdomen R/L	Low Leg R/L	Chest R/L	Butt; max-med R/L	Back R/L	Low leg R/L
1	35/35	35/35			35/55/35/55	35/35	75/55
2	35/35	25/25	55/75		55/55	45/45
3	45/45		65/65		35/35/55/55	45/54
4	55/75	25/25	-/45		-/55/55	30/30
5	45/45		75/75	35/35	-/55/55	45/45
6	45/45		65/65	-/45	-/55/55	45/45

*The intensity ranged between the pulse width 20 and 75 microseconds. The voltage across the electrodes is 20 V.

Figure 1. Illustration of the procedure from baseline to follow-up after three months of using the electro-dress Mollii®.

Table 3. COPM baseline, 3 months, and clinical status.

Child	Goals	Baseline P/S	3 months P/S	Pre/Post
1	Be able to walk even longer distance in the snow	3,0/2,6	6,6/8,8	3,6*/6,2*
2	Be able to keep up with the friends to the dining room at school	3,0/2,6	4,8/3,2	1,8/0,6
3	Be able to make a somersault	2,6/2,4	5,4/6,8	2,8*/4,4*
4	Be able to skate properly (longer slides)	2,5/4,0	4,0/4,75	1,5/0,75
5	Being able to stretch the legs without pain	4,75/3,25	5,25/5,0	0,5/1,75
6	Being able to wiggle the toes with both feet	2,2/1,8	3,0/4,0	0,8/2,2*

P = performance, S = satisfaction, Difference = baseline/three-month follow-up.

Pre/post = *clinically significant improvement.

Figure 2. Illustration of gross motor function in standing (dimension D) and walking, running and jumping (dimension E).

Table 4. Passive ROM ankle dorsiflexion with flexed respective extended knee and muscle tone in plantar flexors.

	ROM ankle dorsiflexion, flex. knee			ROM ankle dorsiflexion, ext knee			Muscle tone plantar flexors
Child	Baseline R/L	3 months R/L	*Pre/post R/L	Baseline R/L	3 months R/L	*Pre/post R/L	Baseline R/L	3 months R/L	*Pre/post R/L
1	25/35	25/35	0/0	15/20	15/20	0/0	+1/+1	+1/+1	0/0
2	25/20	20/15	-/-	15/10	10/10	-/0	+1/2	1/2	-/0
3	15/30	20/30	+/0	5/25	10/20	±	1/1	1/1	0/0
4	30/10	20/5	-/-	25/0	15/0	-/0	1/3	+1/3	+/0
5	−20/0	−20/-5	0/-	−25/-10	−25/-10	0/0	4/3	4/3	0/0
6	25/15	30/25	+/+	20/10	25/20	+/+	0/+1	0/+1	0/0

*Pre/Post: 0 = unchanged, + = increased, – = decreased

Table 5. ROM in hip joints at baseline and three-month follow-up.

	ROM abduction			ROM internal rotation			ROM external rotation
Child	Baseline	3 months	*Pre/Post	Baseline	3 months	*Pre/Post	Baseline	3 months	*Pre/Post
1	25/35	30/35	+/0	90/90	90/90	0/0	40/35	35/35	-/0
2	25/30	35/40	+/+	60/60	65/60	+/0	30/40	35/35	±
3	30/35	40/45	+/+	70/60	70/70	0/+	25/45	35/40	±
4	35/25	40/35	+/+	75/65	70/65	0/0	25/30	30/40	+/+
5	25/25	25/25	0/0	80/80	85/85	+/+	10/0	15/0	+/0
6	30/30	30/30	0/0	55/60	55/60	0/0	40/40	45/40	+/0

*Pre/Post: 0 = unchanged, + = increased, – = decreased.

Table 6. ROM in hip joints at baseline and three months.

	ROM hip flexion			Muscle tone hamstrings
Child	Baseline R/L	3 months R/L	*Pre/post	Baseline R/L	3 months R/L	*Pre/post
1	130/135	125/130	-/-	1/1	1/1	0/0
2	145/150	150/155	+/+	0/0	0/0	0/0
3	130/150	140/140	±	1/0	1/1	0/+
4	145/135	150/135	+/0	0/0	0/2	0/+
5	150/155	150/155	0/0	1/1	1/1	0/0
6	150/145	160/150	+/+	1/1	1/1	0/0

*Pre/Post: 0 = unchanged, + = increased, – = decreased.

Palisano, R. J., Haley, S. M., & Brown, D. A. (1992). Goal attainment scaling as a measure of change in infants with motor delays. Physical Therapy, 72(6), 432–437. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/72.6.432

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