Saint Fargeau Ponthierry

Neurological disorders like cerebral palsy can cause significant difficulties with movement, affecting daily activities. This research focuses on children aged 4 to 17 years with such motor impairments. The goal is to improve their ability to perform grasp-and-release and reach-to-grasp movements using intensive, repetitive training supported by a specially designed serious game. Participants will use a device that combines software, a physical platform, and two instrumented toys to engage them in interactive therapy. The intervention lasts four weeks and includes three 40-minute sessions each week, totaling about four hours of gameplay. The game is designed to encourage repetitive movements to enhance motor skills while keeping the experience enjoyable. Before starting the therapy, children will undergo baseline assessments including the Box and Blocks Test, measuring wrist movement range, and the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA). These tests will be repeated during and after the intervention. A follow-up evaluation is scheduled two months later to measure lasting effects on hand function and movement ability.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in children, often causing difficulty in using their upper limbs. This affects their independence and quality of life. Conventional rehabilitation alone may not fully address these challenges. To improve functional gains, the French National Authority for Health recommends intensive rehabilitation approaches. Two effective techniques studied are Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT), which limits use of the unaffected limb to encourage the affected one, and Bimanual Intensive Therapy (BIT), which trains both hands together to improve coordination and function. The Ellen Poidatz Foundation has developed an intensive program combining these two complementary therapies along with adapted physical activity. The program follows principles of neuromotor rehabilitation and motor learning and includes methods such as HABIT, HABIT-ILE, modified CIMT, and adapted physical activity. It lasts 10 days over two weeks and is adapted by age and care setting. Children aged 3 to 8 receive about 60 hours of therapy, while those aged 9 to 17 receive about 80 hours. Daily sessions include two individual and three group sessions with functional and playful motor tasks that gradually become more challenging. Participants will engage in this rehabilitation program and be assessed using measures such as the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) and Both Hands Assessment (BoHA) after 3 months. Researchers will evaluate improvements in hand use and overall motor function. The study aims to objectively measure the benefits of the Habil'Hand+ program and help optimize rehabilitation for children and adolescents with CP. Participants are followed through the 2-week program and assessments afterward to monitor progress and safety.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement and posture disorders caused by brain damage occurring during fetal development or within the first year of life, leading to activity limitations. Choosing the right treatment for children with CP is crucial and relies on accurate diagnosis through Clinical Gait Analysis and clinical examinations. These examinations assess passive inter-segmental stiffness and spasticity, which limit mobility, but current measurements can be subjective and vary among examiners. To improve accuracy, quantitative and objective methods using portable dynamometers are being explored. This research evaluates a new dynamometric measurement protocol designed to quantify passive inter-segmental stiffness and spasticity in children with CP. The study involves passive stretching of the main lower limb joints using a handheld dynamometer by two evaluators, with repeated measures to test the reliability of the protocol. The goal is to ensure these manual dynamometric methods follow standardized procedures and have defined psychometric properties before clinical use. Participants will undergo assessments of joint resistance during passive movement by two evaluators to measure intra- and inter-rater reliability. The study measures outcomes such as the Passive Stiffness Index and model deviation over two years. Children’s ability to cooperate and follow instructions is required, and safety is monitored throughout. The total study participation duration and follow-up details focus on ensuring reliable, objective data collection to support better clinical assessments in CP care.

This research investigates a new approach to rehabilitation for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) who have undergone single event multi-level surgery. CP is a group of movement and posture disorders caused by brain damage early in life, affecting walking ability through factors like muscle weakness, sensory deficits, and spasticity. The study aims to evaluate the effects of using a serious game delivered through augmented reality (AR) to enhance gait training, motivation, and functional abilities compared to traditional treadmill-based rehabilitation. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups: the control group receives classic rehabilitation plus treadmill walking at 80% of their maximum speed for up to 20 minutes, while the test group receives classic rehabilitation combined with gait training using the ARROw CP serious game on a Microsoft Hololens headset. This game provides real-time and delayed feedback on walking performance, including sprint sessions where participants walk at their maximum speed. The intervention lasts for 4 weeks. Throughout the study, children's walking abilities are assessed using a 6-minute walking test. Researchers also measure motivation, satisfaction, and adherence to treatment. Children are monitored for one year after inclusion to evaluate long-term outcomes. Assessments include observing spatiotemporal gait parameters and functional mobility, ensuring participants can cooperate and follow instructions during rehabilitation.