Understanding Movement in Cerebral Palsy
Official title: Dynamic Imaging of Cerebral Palsy Gait
Funded at Father Flanagan's Boys' Home · NIH-11167633 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to better understand how brain and spinal cord changes affect walking and leg movements in young people and adults with cerebral palsy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Father Flanagan's Boys' Home NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boys Town, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $675,864 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD108205-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11167633 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is relevant for youth and adults, aged 12 and older, who live with cerebral palsy and experience challenges with their leg movements and walking.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have cerebral palsy or significant mobility challenges related to their condition may not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
We know that cerebral palsy, caused by a brain injury around birth, often leads to lifelong challenges with movement. Current treatments focus on the brain's role in planning and executing leg movements, but we still have gaps in understanding how specific brain and spinal cord activity impacts walking. Our previous work using advanced brain imaging showed that brain differences are important for how people with CP move their legs and process sensations. We also found that the spinal cord's structure can be affected in individuals with CP. This project will further explore how these brain and spinal cord changes influence the ability to control leg movements while walking.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new and more effective treatments for improving mobility and walking abilities for individuals with cerebral palsy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous brain imaging and MRI studies have provided initial insights into brain and spinal cord differences in individuals with cerebral palsy, laying the groundwork for this advanced investigation.
Where this research is happening
-
Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
Boys Town, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kurz, Max J — Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
- Study coordinator: Kurz, Max J
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Dynamic Brain Imaging of Cerebral Palsy Gait
This project uses advanced brain and spinal imaging to understand how cerebral palsy affects the way young people plan and control their leg movements during walking.
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Optimizing spinal stimulation levels to improve walking for children with cerebral palsy
A non-invasive spinal cord stimulation approach is tested with gait training to help children with cerebral palsy walk more easily and with less stiffness.
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Investigating how brain and spinal cord function affects walking in children with cerebral palsy
This study is looking at how the brain and spinal cord work together to help kids with cerebral palsy walk better, using safe imaging techniques to learn more about their movements and senses, so we can find better ways to support them.
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Gait speed from wearable sensors to guide ALS trials
A patient-friendly look at using wearable sensors to measure how fast people with ALS walk, to help run better ALS trials.
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Measuring how kids with cerebral palsy adapt their walking
A study to understand how children with cerebral palsy learn and adjust walking, and how personalized feedback during walking might improve their mobility.
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Movement-Enhanced Walking Training to Improve Balance After Stroke
A specialized treadmill training using a cable-driven device, called Movement Amplification Environment (MAE), helps people with chronic stroke improve walking balance by enhancing their own movement awareness.
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.