Current Paediatric Research Projects
Biomechanics of crouch gait in spastic diplegia
This project involves the classifcation of gait patterns
in spastic diplegia according to biomechanical principles and
the exploration of sagittal plane muscle length imbalance in
subjects with crouch gait through the analysis of the clinical,
kinematic and kinetic data of their gait.
An investigation of the functional reach test in
children with cerebral palsy
This project involves 3-dimensional movement analysis
of the functional reach test in sitting and standing in children.
A model of marker placement has been developed to capture movement
of the trunk.The performance between different age groups,
different reaching tasks and between some individuals with
cerebral palsy and their unaffected peers is being compared.
The Timed Up and Go Test in children
The Timed Up and Go test (TUG) has been described
as a test of basic or functional mobility for an adult that
has rarely been used in children. This project examines the
reliability and validity of the TUG test in normally developing
children and in children with a physical disability. The protocol
for the TUG has been modified for use in children. It has potential
as a screening test, as an outcome measure in intervention
studies for young people with disabilities, as a measure of
disability, and as a measure of change in functional mobility
over time.
Validity of parent perception of gross motor function
in children with cerebral palsy.
A questionnaire has been developed to examine parents’ perception
of their children’s gross motor function. Their responses are
being compared with changes on the GMFM as part of a randomised controlled
trial investigating functional change following botulinum toxin A injections
to lower limb muscles in children with cerebral palsy.
Functional strength and endurance training in children
with cerebral palsy
This project involves a randomized controlled trial to investigate the
effects of a group circuit-style functional strength and endurance training
program for children with cerebral palsy. Outcome measures include muscle
strength, 10-minute walk, and uptime.
Length-tension relationships in calf muscles in children
with cerebral palsy.
This project involves the investigation of the reliability
of length-tension measures in the calf muscles assessed using
an ankle ergometer in normally developing children and those
with cerebral palsy. Length-tension
properties of the calf muscles in the two groups of children
are being assessed.
Predicting the need for surgery in children with
Obstetric Brachial Plexus Palsy
Obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) is a frequently
presenting disorder which can have profound effects on the
child’s ability to use their affected upper limb for
functional tasks. Many children do not regain full movement
or strength of their affected upper limb and suffer from psychological
problems associated with upper limb dysfunction. At present
treatment decisions regarding the most appropriate form of
intervention (conservative or surgical) are made almost entirely
on physiotherapy clinical assessments. Many types of outcome
measures are used to track the child’s status over a
period of time and there is insufficient evident to suggest
that these are valid, reliable or sensitive to detect change
over time. Therefore, this project aims to further investigate
the psychometric properties of current OBPP outcome measures
and to compare these to upper limb movement patterns.
Assessment of motor development in prematurely born
infants
The aim of this study is to examine the use of the
Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) to evaluate motor development
in infants born prematurely. The AIMS is an observational measure
of infant motor performance, assessing the infant’s sequential
development of motor milestones from term to independent walking.
AIMS assessments at 4, 8, 12 and 16 months corrected age (ca)
will be compared with Canadian normative data. Infants who
have more than one AIMS score falling below the 5th percentile
will be followed up and assessed.