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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07310550

A Physical Therapy Program Targeting Lower Extremity Selective Motor Control in Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy

The goal of this intervention study is to learn whether a physical therapy exercise camp called will improve leg movement (motor control) and functional ability in children with spastic CP who are between 5 and 18 years. The main questions the study aims to answer are:

* Does the ability to move the knee at high velocities improve? * Does function such as walking, running, hopping, climbing stairs improve? * Will the brain tracts that control movement change? * Will children who have better independent control of joint motion improve more?

All participants will:

* Attend 15 sessions of an exercise camp for 3 hours per day * Perform a home exercise program after the camp ends

Measurements:

* Lower extremity selective motor control * Knee muscle strength at high speeds using an exercise machine * Gross motor function * Gait analysis (walking patterns) * Parent's perception of their child's ability and their satisfaction with that ability * Change in brain motor tracts using a scanner (MRI) for participants that meet the inclusion criteria for MRI

MRI measurements will be taken twice (before and immediately after the treatment). All other measurements and will be taken 3 times (before, immediately after the treatment and approximately 4 months after the treatment).

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Key information

Conditions

Spastic Cerebral Palsy Brain Damage, Chronic Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cerebral Palsy Muscle Hypertonia Muscle Spasticity Muscular Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Nervous System Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Neuromuscular Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

5 year–18 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Center for Cerebral Palsy at UCLA/Orthopaedic Institute for Children

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • spastic cerebral palsy
  • age between 5-18 years
  • ability to walk at least 10 meters
  • ability to follow simple verbal directions

Exclusion criteria

All participants

  • botulinum toxin or serial casting within the preceding 3 months
  • recent orthopedic or neurological surgery within the preceding 12 months
  • uncontrolled seizures

For participants undergoing MRI

  • inability to lie still
  • incompatible metal implants
  • baclofen pumps or shunts

Treatment and study plan

Selective movement of individual lower limb joints

Other

Children practices moving the joints of each lower leg independently.

Knee joint strengthening at high velocities

Other

In sitting, the thigh and trunk are secured to a seat and the lower leg to a moving arm that provides resistance at exercise velocities progressing up to a maximum of 300 deg/s.

Ankle controlled gaming

Other

With the child in sitting, the ankle is secured to a moving segment. The child can control games such as tennis by dorsiflexing and plantar flexing their ankle at increasing velocities to meet the demands of the game.

Functional activities based on child and parental goals

Other

The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure is used to identify functional goals. Activities to address these goals are designed by physical therapists and practiced during camp.

Sensori-motor exercises

Other

Walking barefoot over sand and grass. Foot and ankle sensory exploration using materials with various textures.

Primary outcomes

  1. Gross Motor Function Measure

    Time frame: nine months

    Children are asked to perform functional activities including standing, walking, running, balancing and stair climbing. The data are entered into a computer program to create a score ranging from 0-100. A higher score indicates better function.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Knee joint torque

    Time frame: nine months

    Three repetitions of maximum effort knee extension and flexion torque are collected at 0-300 deg/s for the affected lower limbs. Outcomes are the percent of knee joints that can produce measurable torque at each velocity and the peak joint torque that is produced.

  2. Canadian Occupational Performance Measure

    Time frame: nine months

    Parents/caregivers and children choose 5 activities that they would like to see improve as a result of this intervention. The parent or caregiver rates how well their child currently performs that task and how satisfied they are with the performance of the task on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest score.

  3. Brain MRI - Diffusion tensor imaging

    Time frame: nine months

    A brain MRI scan is obtained. Tract based spatial statistics are performed from the scan to look for changes in individual voxels. Higher values for fractional anisotropy are associated with improved tract integrity. Lower values for radial and median diffusivity are associated with improved myelination.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of California, Los Angeles

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Physical Therapy Program for Selective Motor Control

Important dates

Study start
2014
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Dec 30, 2025
Registry last updated
Jan 9, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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