Identifying impairment-level factors which could influence the acquisition of practical walking skills in children with cerebral palsy

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26560292
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Osaka Health Science University
• Principal Investigator: YABUNAKA YOSHIHIKO 大阪保健医療大学, 大阪保健医療大学 保健医療学部, 教授 (60536803)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 近藤 和泉 国立研究開発法人国立長寿医療研究センター, その他部局等, その他 (50215448) ; 中 徹 群馬パース大学, 保健科学部, 教授 (50278975)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 脳性麻痺 / 実用的独歩獲得 / 機能障害 / 機能的動作

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to identify factors which influence the acquisition of practical walking skills in children with cerebral palsy who can take more than 10 steps without any assistance, by means of comparing those who cannot practically walk with those who can practically walk in daily life.
Based on the data from 70 children with diplegic cerebral palsy, it has been demonstrated that muscle strength in hip extensors, knee flexors and ankle plantar flexors, selective motor control in ankles, one-leg standing and backward walking influence the practical walking skill levels which are I; crawling but not walking indoors, II; walking outdoors occasionally touching walls, furniture, etc., III; walking outdoors without touching walls, furniture, etc. Among these factors, it has been suggested that the knee flexors’ influence was the strongest.

Free Research Field

複合領域，人間医工学，リハビリテーション科学・福祉工学・理学療法学，脳性麻痺