FMRI CHANGES IN HEMIPLEGIC CEREBRAL PALSY CHILDREN AFTER A ROBOTIC ASSISTED REHABILITATION THERAPY WITH GAIT TRAINER: A PILOT STUDY

Scientific background The repetition of motor activities can induce a stimulation of gait patterns spinal and upper spinal generators, inducing a CNS neurofunctional reorganisation and this lead to a motor learning. Aim to determine whether changes in gait functional changes and in cortical activation occurred as a result of robot-assisted Gait Trainer therapy in hemiplegic children. Methods and subjects We recruited 8 hemiplegic children. Each patient has made a GT-training with ten sessions treatment and was evaluated before, after and after one month of treatment using fMRI with two motor tasks (active ankle dorsiflexion; finger tapping), 6 minutes walking test, 10 meters walking test and GAITRite system. Region analysed in fMRI are primary motor cortex (M1), primary sensory cortex (S1), supplementary motor area (SMA), premotor cortex (PMA). Results and discussion All the patients increase activation area in the hemisphere damaged at fMRI in S1, M1, PMC, SMA and improve gait performance.