Clinical, neurological, and neurophysiological evaluation of the efficiency of motor rehabilitation in children with cerebral palsy using robotic mechanotherapy and transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the spinal cord

Abstract

Introduction. Rehabilitation of patients with cerebral palsy (CP) remains a very difficult task. Stable and growing movement restrictions in such patients cause a life-long need for treatment and rehabilitation. Neurorehabilitation of children with CP at various stages includes not only traditional physical rehabilitation methods, but also extensive use of robotic mechanotherapy techniques and new technologies in the field of neurophysiology. One of such technology is non-invasive percutaneous electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. Aim of the study: To assess the effect of transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the spinal cord to improve the motor function of children with spastic diplegia using the “Lokomat” robotic mechanotherapy system. Materials and methods. A clinical rehabilitation study of 26 patients aged 6–12 years with CP was conducted. The treatment group included 11 patients who received one course of robotic mechanotherapy using the “Lokomat” system combined with transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. The control group included 15 patients who received one course of robotic mechanotherapy only. Results. A comparative analysis of the two groups based on the results of clinical examinations using specific scales (GMFCS, GMFM-88, Modified Ashworth Scale of Muscle Spasticity), locomotor tests (L-FORCE, L-ROM), and evaluations of muscle activity using electromyography showed that one course of rehabilitation resulted in improvement in motor function in all patients of both groups, but positive dynamics were more significant in the treatment group that underwent percutaneous electrical stimulation of the spinal cord. Conclusion. Based on clinical data, changes in indicators of the locomotor tests L-FORCE and L-ROM, as well as assessment of changes in muscle activity, showed that motor rehabilitation of children with spastic diplegia using the “Lokomat” robotic mechanotherapy system combined with transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation was more effective than robotic mechanotherapy only.