title: Validation of the activPAL activity monitor in children with hemiplegic gait patterns resultant from cerebral palsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current investigation of treatment outcomes by clinicians is currently hampered by a lack of clinically viable tools. The use of activity monitors specifically validated for a population could help resolve this situation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to validate an activity monitor for monitoring children with cerebral palsy. The study was designed to validate the duration of time spent sitting, standing and walking and the number of steps taken when being measured by the activPAL activity monitor.
  
  
  METHODS
  A validation study was undertaken.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observations of participants were carried out while completing a specifically designed activity course using video footage, which were then compared to the output from the activity monitor.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The activity monitor was found to be valid for the time spent standing and walking, the number of steps taken and the number of transitions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results demonstrated that the monitor may prove useful to clinicians as a measurement outcome device for children with hemiplegic gait patterns resultant from cerebral palsy. However, the sensitivity of the device is variable, and further investigations are necessary to confirm it would also be able to detect minor changes after interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The monitor may provide clinicians with a simplistic tool that is easily utilised, to enable audit exercises of current and future treatments.
authors.affiliation: UNIPOD - United National Institute for Prosthetics & Orthotics Development, University of Salford, Salford, UK Centre for Health Sciences Research, University of Salford, Salford, UK m.mcaloon@salford.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: McAloon
authors.affiliation: UNIPOD - United National Institute for Prosthetics & Orthotics Development, University of Salford, Salford, UK Centre for Health Sciences Research, University of Salford, Salford, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hutchins
authors.affiliation: UNIPOD - United National Institute for Prosthetics & Orthotics Development, University of Salford, Salford, UK Centre for Health Sciences Research, University of Salford, Salford, UK.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Twiste
authors.affiliation: UNIPOD - United National Institute for Prosthetics & Orthotics Development, University of Salford, Salford, UK Centre for Health Sciences Research, University of Salford, Salford, UK.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: UNIPOD - United National Institute for Prosthetics & Orthotics Development, University of Salford, Salford, UK.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Forchtner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Activity monitor; cerebral palsy; validation