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Hypertonia in Patients With Cerebral Palsy

NCT00123708 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 100

Last updated 2017-07-02

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study will classify types of hypertonia in patients with cerebral palsy and determine if the classifications are reasonable in relation to the functional task of walking. Hypertonia is an abnormal increase in muscle tension. It is a common symptom of cerebral palsy that can lead to loss of function and deformity. This study may help scientists improve evaluation criteria for hypertonia and, ultimately, treatment results.

Patients with cerebral palsy who are older than 6 years of age may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and clinical evaluation.

Participants are asked to walk in the lab while cameras record their movement. During this test, subjects wear a t-shirt and shorts with their arms and legs wrapped with a soft, rubber-like material. A piece of firm material is attached to the rubber sleeves and small plastic reflective balls are attached to the firm material. Balls may also be attached to the skin, using an adhesive. With the balls in place, the subject walks several times while cameras record the positions of the balls. In addition, small metal electrodes attached to the skin with an adhesive measure the electrical activity in the muscles.

After the walking test is completed, subjects' leg muscle strength is measured with a special device while they perform three activities. First, they sit on a special chair with their leg and foot placed in an apparatus that measures their strength, then lie on their back, then on their stomach, and then stand on one foot holding a bar to balance during part of one activity. During the activities, their reflexes are tested, they are asked to move their legs, and their legs are moved for them.

Conditions

  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Muscle Hypertonia

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

    lead NIH

Eligibility

Min Age
6 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2005-07-19
Primary Completion
2009-11-13

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00123708 on ClinicalTrials.gov