The Pediatric Lokomat gait trainer is a robotic therapy aimed at improving walking and gross motor function in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). This project evaluated whether robotic therapy could lead to neuroplastic changes in the brain and improve clinical gross motor or gait outcomes. This project included a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) component in order to:
- Identify changes in brain activation patterns after robotic gait training with the Lokomat;
- Evaluate how changes to the organization of the brain can impact motor and functional outcomes; and
- investigate whether specific brain activation patterns can predict a ‘successful’ gross motor and gait pattern.
This information can be used to create innovative therapies for children with CP