A new study being conducted at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Monroe-Meyer Institute (MMI) could assist children with cerebral palsy to control their posture and be better able to sit upright. Many children with cerebral palsy have very limited control of their muscles. As such, cerebral palsy can cause decreased posture control.

The study is being conducted by Dr. Harbourne, an assistant professor of physical therapy at MMI. She has studied sitting in children with cerebral palsy for the majority of her career, as she finds sitting to be a crucial aspect of daily life. This is because most activities that people take part in require them to be in an upright position. According to her, "If you can't sit up, you can't interact with the world."

The study received funding from a three-year, $600,000 grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The study is comparing two treatments designed to improve the sitting ability of children with cerebral palsy. The control group receives twice-weekly physical therapy treatments. The experimental group will receive the same physical therapy treatments, but the therapy will take place on top of a mat that will vibrate randomly and at different frequencies.

The idea behind the research is that the vibrations from the mat will increase the child's ability to sense where his or her body is in space. If so, children with cerebral palsy will be able to improve their sitting skills.

The idea for the study came from a different study at Boston University. The researchers placed insoles in the shoes of Parkinson's and stroke patients in order to help them retain their balance when walking. Since sitting comes before standing, Harbourne thought that this might translate into a beneficial treatment for children with cerebral palsy.

So far, both the control group and the experimental group have improved their sitting skills. However, early results indicate that the use of the vibrating mats has resulted in slightly better sitting ability.

If the research provides a meaningful difference between the two treatments, the researchers plan to convert the vibrating mat into a product that will enable children with cerebral palsy to improve their sitting ability. 

Source: HealthNewsDigest.com "Children with Cerebral Palsy Improve Sitting Skills" 8/26/10