[Treadmill training with or without partial body weight support in children with cerebral palsy: systematic review and meta-analysis]

Abstract

Introduction: The limitations of gait in children with cerebral palsy are common. In fact, the training of locomotion is an essential therapeutic goal. There are various treatment approaches, but in recent years, the treadmill training, framed within the motor learning task-oriented, has increased its presence at the clinical level.

Aim: To determine whether treadmill training with or without partial body weight support, improves the ability to walk, the motor function of the lower limb, the disability and the quality of life in children with cerebral palsy.

Materials and methods: We selected only those articles with the highest level of evidence for each type of intervention. We searched in the National Guideline Clearinghouse, Trip Database, SUMsearch, Medline, CINHAL, Embase, Amed, Cochrane Library Plus and PEDro. Data were extracted from these six studies, which recruited 127 participants. Only a meta-analysis was given. We used a fixed effects model, data were not significant between increased of speed and treadmill training.

Results: According to the individual studies, the intervention improved lower extremity function and spatiotemporal parameters during gait. However, the differences between groups in favor of the experimental condition, were mostly not significant.

Conclusions: The systematic review shows some limitations. Firstly, it includes a small number of studies, which is also a small sample of participants. In addition, among the studies, there is a great clinical diversity and many articles did not described relevant data exactly for critical reading.