Improving ankle push-off and walking in children with cerebral palsy
Augmenting Ankle Plantarflexor Function and Walking Capacity in Children with Cerebral Palsy
A lightweight wearable ankle robot that can either give resistance to build strength or provide assistance to make walking easier is being used to help children with cerebral palsy walk better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northern Arizona University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Flagstaff, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11161507 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Your child would wear a lightweight, dual-mode ankle device that can switch between providing targeted resistance to train muscles and giving adaptive assistance during harder or longer walks. Therapists will use resistance during focused walking sessions to encourage stronger, more efficient ankle muscle use, and will use assistance when sustained or high-intensity walking is needed. The team will measure changes in ankle muscle function, walking speed, endurance, and everyday activity levels before and after the training. Visits and testing would occur at the research site and include follow-up checks to track lasting changes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children with cerebral palsy who have difficulty with ankle push-off, abnormal gait patterns, and the ability to participate in supervised walking training are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children whose walking limitations are caused primarily by non-ankle issues (for example severe hip/knee instability or medical conditions preventing safe participation) may not benefit from this ankle-focused device.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help children with cerebral palsy walk more efficiently, farther, and with less effort.
How similar studies have performed: Robotic ankle assistance and targeted resistance therapies have shown promise separately for improving gait in cerebral palsy, but combining adaptive assistance and resistance in a single wearable device is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Flagstaff, United States
- Northern Arizona University — Flagstaff, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lerner, Zachary Forest — Northern Arizona University
- Study coordinator: Lerner, Zachary Forest
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.