title: Infants with spina bifida:  immediate responses to contextual and manual sensory augmentation during treadmill stepping.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the effect of combined sensory enhancements and manual assistance on the immediate motor responsiveness of infants with spina bifida during treadmill trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six infants with spina bifida, aged 4 to 9.5 months, with lesion levels ranging from L4 to S3 were tested in each of 3 randomly ordered sets of enhanced sensory conditions across 3 weekly visits to the laboratory. Sensory enhancements included visual flow, unloading, load, and friction, presented in single and combined applications, as well as a set of trials with manual assistance for stepping at 2 treadmill belt speeds. Dependent variables included step frequencies and overall infant activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Friction+load was the most salient of the contextual sensory enhancements. Manual assistance at the slower speed was also effective at increasing infant stepping.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sensory enhancements that increase stance excursion and vertical clearance during swing need further study.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neuromotor Laboratory, Department of Human Movement Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211, USA. moerchev@uwm.edu
authors.forename: Victoria A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Moerchen
authors.forename: Heather L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Hoefakker
mesh_terms: D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016138:Walking