title: Effects of home-based locomotor treadmill training on gross motor function in young children with cerebral palsy: a quasi-randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of an intensive home-based program of treadmill training on motor skills related to walking in preambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasi-randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Homes of the participants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children with CP (N=12) with Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I and II were assigned to the intervention group (n=6; mean age ± SD, 21.76±6.50mo) and control group (n=6; 21.25±6.07mo). All children were tested preintervention, postintervention, at a 1-month follow-up, and at a 4-month follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  All children received their weekly scheduled physical therapy sessions at their homes. In addition, children in the intervention group walked on a portable treadmill in their homes 6 times per week, twice daily for 10- to 20-minute sessions, for 6 weeks. The intervention was carried out by the children's parents with weekly supervision by a physical therapist.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gross Motor Function Measure-66 Dimensions D/E, Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2), Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), timed 10-m walk test (10MWT), and Functional Mobility Scale (FMS). The Friedman test and Mann-Whitney U test were conducted for within-group and between-group differences, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant between-group treatment effect for the PDMS-2 at posttest (P=.01) and 1-month postintervention follow-up (P=.09), as well as for the PEDI at posttest (P=.01), the 1-month postintervention follow-up (P=.009), and the 4-month postintervention follow-up (P=.04). The FMS was significant at the posttest (P=.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Home-based treadmill training accelerates the attainment of walking skills and decreases the amount of support used for walking in young children with CP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, California State University, Sacramento, CA. Electronic address: kbaxter@csus.edu.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mattern-Baxter
authors.forename: Stefani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McNeil
authors.forename: Jim K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Mansoor
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D016138:Walking
keywords: 10-m walk test; 10MWT; CP; Cerebral palsy; Child; DS; Dim D/E; Dimensions D/E; Down syndrome; FMS; Functional Mobility Scale; GMFCS; GMFM-66; Gait; Gross Motor Function Classification Scale; Gross Motor Function Measure-66; LTT; PDMS-2; PEDI; Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2; Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory; Rehabilitation; Walking; cerebral palsy; locomotor treadmill training