Trunk postural reactions to the force perturbation intensity and frequency during sitting astride in children with cerebral palsy

Exp Brain Res. 2023 Nov 28. doi: 10.1007/s00221-023-06744-0. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to examine kinematic and neuromuscular responses of the head and body to pelvis perturbations with different intensities and frequencies during sitting astride in children with CP. Sixteen children with spastic CP (mean age 7.4 ± 2.4 years old) were recruited in this study. A custom designed cable-driven robotic horse was used to apply controlled force perturbations to the pelvis during sitting astride. Each participant was tested in four force intensity conditions (i.e., 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% of body weight (BW), frequency = 1 Hz), and six force frequency conditions (i.e., 0.5 Hz, 1 Hz, 1.5 Hz, 2 Hz, 2.5 Hz, and 3 Hz, intensity = 20% of BW). Each testing session lasted for one minute with a one-minute rest break inserted between two sessions. Kinematic data of the head, trunk, and legs were recorded using wearable sensors, and EMG signals of neck, trunk, and leg muscles were recorded. Children with CP showed direction-specific trunk and neck muscle activity in response to the pelvis perturbations during sitting astride. Greater EMG activities of trunk and neck muscles were observed for the greater intensities of force perturbations (P < .05). Participants also showed enhanced activation of antagonistic muscles rather than direction-specific trunk and neck muscle activities for the conditions of higher frequency perturbations (P < .05). Children wit...
Source: Experimental Brain Research - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Source Type: research