Robotic Exoskeleton Gait Training in Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) results from a perinatal brain injury and is one of the most prevalent and costly pediatric neurologic conditions in the United States that often results in mobility deficits. The investigator's extensive experimental work has been focused on developing a therapeutic gait training protocol that will improve the long-term mobility of adolescents and young adults with CP. Robotic exoskeletons have gained recent attention in the therapeutic community as a high-tech option for assisting with over-ground mobility of various patient populations. The goal of this investigation is to take a fresh new approach on how robotic exoskeletons can be used in a therapeutic setting. As opposed to using them as a compensation tool, we are proposing to use them to perturb the legs to drive beneficial neuroplasticity in the key brain areas that govern the leg motor actions. Essentially, we predict that the neuroplastic changes promoted by the exoskeleton gait training protocol will lead to more robust clinical outcomes than what is seen by gait training alone. The aims of this study will: (1) determine if individuals with CP that undergo a robotic exoskeleton gait training protocol have larger mobility improvements compared to those that undergo gait training alone, (2) determine if individuals that undergo a robotic exoskeleton gait training protocol have larger improvements in key brain areas involved in motor planning and execution of the leg motor actions compared to those that undergo gait training alone, and (3) determine if individuals with CP that undergo a robotic exoskeleton gait training protocol have larger mobility improvements compared to those that undergo gait training alone. It is hypothesized after exoskeleton gait training participants will demonstrate substantially greater improvements in their 10-meter walk speed, one-minute walk test, and Functional Gait Assessment scores. Additionally, following exoskeleton training, the sensorimotor cortical activity will be significantly different from what is seen in those receiving gait training alone. Furthermore, the degree of brain activity changes will be related to the extent of the mobility improvements seen after completing the exoskeleton gait training protocol. Briefly, the study design consists of a cohort of adolescents and young adults with CP that will initially undergo MEG brain imaging, MRI spinal cord imaging, neurophysiological tests of the spinal cord interneuronal circuitry, and clinical mobility assessments. After completing the baseline tests, the participants will undergo either traditional therapeutic gait training or utilize the robotic exoskeleton gait therapy. Upon completion of the treatment program, participants will undergo the same baseline assessments. The results from the post therapy outcomes will be compared between the two groups: traditional gait therapy and robotic exoskeleton.