Establishing Reliability and Objective Evaluation of 12 Weeks of Robotic Walking: Spasticity, Contracture and Muscle Strength

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dc.contributor.advisorCondliffe, Elizabeth
dc.contributor.authorIsapure, Kiran Mahadev
dc.contributor.committeememberBertram, John
dc.contributor.committeememberLarkin-Kaiser, Kelly
dc.date2024-11
dc.date.accessioned2024-09-24T22:11:55Z
dc.date.available2024-09-24T22:11:55Z
dc.date.issued2024-09-19
dc.description.abstractBackground: Neurological conditions like Cerebral Palsy (CP) often lead to spasticity, contracture, and muscle weakness, affecting mobility. Current clinical measures for these impairments lack reliability and/or responsiveness to change and cannot differentiate between spasticity and contracture. Using objective tools like stationary dynamometers can provide more objective assessments and resolution to detect change. Robotic training provides ways to reduce sedentary time and experience walking in a safe and stable frame at home or in the community, potentially changing spasticity, contracture, and muscle weakness. Objective Aim 1 was to establish reliability for measuring knee flexor spasticity, contracture and knee extensor muscle strength in children who cannot walk due to neurological disorders using a stationary dynamometer. Aim 2 was to evaluate the impact of 12 weeks of robotic training on knee flexor spasticity, contracture and knee extensor muscle strength in the same population. Methods Project 1: Assessment of knee flexor spasticity, contracture and knee extensor muscle strength was conducted one month apart using a stationary dynamometer. Test-retest reliability was assessed using Intraclass Correlation Coefficients, Standard Error Measurement and Bland-Altman plots. Project 2: The impact of 12 weeks of robotic training on knee flexor spasticity, contracture and knee extensor muscle strength was evaluated using a stationary dynamometer. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess the significance of the change in spasticity, contracture and muscle strength following 12 weeks of robotic training. Results Project 1: Good relative reliability was observed for spasticity and contracture outcomes except at a higher speed. Absolute reliability was less than 15% of the mean baseline value for spasticity outcomes and more than 25% for outcomes influenced by contracture. Good relative reliability was observed for torque outcome of muscle strength and moderate relative reliability was observed for muscle activity outcome. Project 2: Twelve weeks of robotic training significantly reduced spasticity. 2 of 3 outcomes influenced by contracture were also reduced significantly with the remaining outcome unchanged. All five participants showed increased strength after 12 weeks of robotic training.
dc.identifier.citationIsapure, K. M. (2024). Establishing reliability and objective evaluation of 12 weeks of robotic walking: Spasticity, contracture and muscle strength (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1880/119862
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgary
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectCerebral palsy
dc.subjectSpasticity
dc.subjectContracture
dc.subjectMuscle weakness
dc.subjectRobotic gait training
dc.subjectTest-retest reliability
dc.subject.classificationEngineering--Biomedical
dc.titleEstablishing Reliability and Objective Evaluation of 12 Weeks of Robotic Walking: Spasticity, Contracture and Muscle Strength
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineEngineering – Biomedical
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudentI do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.
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