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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03212846

Muscle Spasticity Reduction in Children With Cerebral Palsy by Means of Hippotherapy

The aim of this study is to evaluate if a intervention with hippotherapy will improve spasticity for children ages 3-14 who have cerebral palsy. The hip aductors spasticity will be measured using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). The intervention will be performed in addition to traditional treatment.

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Key information

Conditions

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

Age range

3 year–14 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy

Cadiz, 11009, Spain

About this study

The main aim of the present study is to determine the effects of hippotherapy on the hip aductors spasticity in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Furthermore, as a secondary objective is to evaluate the changes in Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) after intervention in children ages 3-14.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Primor diagnosis of spastic cerebral palsy
  • Children aged 3-14

Exclusion criteria

  • Children with recent injection of botulinium toxin, surgery, or any planned medical or surgical interventions.

Treatment and study plan

hippotherapy

Other

Children will receive the hippotherapy treatment, based on horse walking in a regular way led by an experienced leader. Sessions will be performed for 45 minutes once weekly for 12 consecutive weeks in an indoor riding area.

Primary outcomes

  1. Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS)

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    The aim of the scale is to assess muscle tone by the joint range of motion, manually evaluated, and clinically recording passive movements' resistance. Each participant will be examined lying supine on a couch in a relaxed position. The MAS scale is, undoubtedly, the most widely used measure for the quantification of muscular hypertonia. The trunk and the head will be maintained in a neutral position to avoid eliciting tonic neck reflexes, and the passive speed movements will be made in the course of one second. It will be performed in left and right hip, independently, 5 to 8 times to obtain a more reliable result. This modified version adds a 1+ scoring category, in order to register resistance in less than half of the range of motion. Thus, the scores range is from 0 to 4, with 6 choices.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Cadiz

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Muscle Spasticity Reduction in Children With Cerebral Palsy by Means of Hippotherapy: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2016
Study completion
2016
First posted
Jul 11, 2017
Registry last updated
Jul 12, 2017

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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