Application of a tri-axial accelerometry-based portable motion recorder for the quantitative assessment of hippotherapy in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.
[Purpose] This case series aims to evaluate the effects of hippotherapy on gait and balance ability of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy using quantitative parameters for physical activity. [Subjects and Methods] Three patients with gait disability as a sequela of cerebral palsy (one female and two males; age 5, 12, and 25 years old) were recruited. Participants received hippotherapy for 30 min once a week for 2 years. Gait parameters (step rate, step length, gait speed, mean acceleration, and horizontal/vertical displacement ratio) were measured using a portable motion recorder equipped with a tri-axial accelerometer attached to the waist before and after a 10-m walking test. [Results] There was a significant increase in step length between before and after a single hippotherapy session. Over the course of 2 year intervention, there was a significant increase in step rate, gait speed, step length, and mean acceleration and a significant improvement in horizontal/vertical displacement ratio. [Conclusion] The data suggest that quantitative parameters derived from a portable motion recorder can track both immediate and long-term changes in the walking ability of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy undergoing hippotherapy.
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan.
Tomoko
T
Mutoh
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan; Department of Surgical Neurology, Research Institute for Brain and Blood Vessels-AKITA, Japan.
Tatsushi
T
Mutoh
LSI Medience Corporation, Japan.
Makoto
M
Takada
Holistic Betterment and Wellness Through Riding PIROUETTE, Japan.
Misato
M
Doumura
Holistic Betterment and Wellness Through Riding PIROUETTE, Japan.
Masayo
M
Ihara
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan.
Yasuyuki
Y
Taki
Research Center for Food Safety, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
Hirokazu
H
Tsubone
Teikyo University Faculty of Medical Technology, Japan.
Masahiro
M
Ihara
Cerebral palsy; Gait analysis; Hippotherapy