Effect of Robotic Gait on Functions in Cerebral Palsy

Selective motor control was assessed using the Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity (SCALE). SCALE evaluates selective voluntary motor control of the hip, knee, ankle, subtalar, and toe joints bilaterally. Participants were instructed to perform each movement within 3 seconds. Each joint was scored based on performance as follows: normal selective motor control (2 points), impaired selective motor control (1 point), and inability to perform selective motor control (0 points). The total score was calculated by summing the scores of all joints. The maximum possible score is 20 points (10 points for each extremity), and the minimum score is 0. Higher scores indicate better selective motor control.

Seated postural control was assessed using the Seated Postural Control Measure (SPCM). The scale evaluates postural alignment and functional performance in the sitting position. It consists of three sections: demographic information, postural alignment during sitting, and upper extremity function. Postural deviations are rated on a 4-point scale (1 = poor, 4 = good), with higher scores indicating better postural control. The maximum score is 88 for the postural alignment section and 48 for the upper extremity function section.

Gross motor function was assessed using the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88). The scale consists of 88 items grouped into five domains: lying and rolling (17 items), sitting (20 items), crawling and kneeling (14 items), standing (13 items), and walking, running, and jumping (24 items). It is used to evaluate and classify functional motor abilities in children with motor impairments. Each item is scored on a 4-point scale ranging from 0 to 3. The maximum possible score is 264, and the minimum score is 0. Higher scores indicate better gross motor function and greater levels of functional independence.

Trunk control was assessed using the Trunk Control Measurement (TCMS), which evaluates both static and dynamic sitting balance. The scale consists of two main domains subdivided into three sections with a total of 15 items. It includes two items assessing static sitting balance and one domain assessing dynamic sitting balance parameters. The total score ranges from 0 to 58, with higher scores indicating better trunk control. Assessments were performed with children seated in a standardized position (hips and knees in 90° flexion, feet in contact with the ground, and without back support).

Functional mobility, gait speed, postural balance, and dynamic stability were assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Participants were instructed to stand up from a standard chair, walk 3 meters, turn around, walk back to the chair, and sit down again. The total time required to complete the task was recorded in seconds. The test was performed twice, and the best performance was used for analysis. Higher completion time indicates poorer functional mobility and balance performance.

Static balance was assessed using a computerized balance platform system providing objective postural stability data. Participants stood on a balance board in a double-leg stance for 30 seconds under two conditions: eyes open and eyes closed. The system recorded center of pressure (CoP) displacement in the X-Y plane and postural sway area during standing. Outcome variables included postural sway parameters reflecting static balance control. Higher sway values indicate poorer postural stability.