[Purpose] This study aimed to investigate the effects of Vojta therapy on spatiotemporal gait parameters in children with spastic diplegia. [Methods] The study population consisted of 3 children diagnosed with spastic diplegia. The subjects were treated with Vojta therapy for 8 weeks and followed up for 8 weeks after completion of the therapy. Vicon motion analysis was used to determine the subjects’ spatiotemporal gait parameters. [Results] The following results were noted in the changes of each joint angle in the sagittal plane after Vojta therapy. Subject 1 remained in phase throughout the entire gait cycle and did not show any noticeable improvement, even demonstrating a negative range of motion when compared to the baseline. Subject 2 showed a normal anti-phase in heel strike, and the mid-stance, and swing phases. Subject 3 showed a normal anti-phase in heel strike and mid-stance, but the anti-phase during the swing phase was not significantly different from the baseline. For subjects 2 and 3, compared to the baseline, the range of motion of the hip and knee increased but the range of motion of the ankle decreased. [Conclusion] The findings of this study indicate that Vojta therapy can do a good role in improve the spatiotemporal gait parameters of children with spastic diplegia.

[Purpose] We investigated the effects of modulation of the optic flow speed on gait parameters in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. [Methods] We examined 10 children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. The children underwent gait analysis under 3 different conditions of optic flow speed: slow, normal, and fast optic flow speed. The children walked across the walkway of a GAITRite system, while watching a virtual reality screen, and walking velocity, cadence, stride length, step length, single support time, and double support time were recorded. [Results] Compared with the other applied flow speed conditions, the fast optic flow speed (2 times the normal speed) significantly increased walking velocity, cadence, normalized step length, base of support, and single support cycle of both the paretic and non-paretic lower limbs. Moreover, compared with the other applied flow speed conditions, the slow optic flow speed (0.25 times the normal speed) yielded a significantly decreased walking velocity, cadence, normalized step length, base of support, and single support cycle for both the paretic and non-paretic lower limbs. [Conclusion] The gait parameters of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy are altered by modulation of the optic flow speed. Thus, we believe that gait training involving modulation of the optic flow speed is feasible and suitable for resolving abnormal gait patterns in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Vojta therapy on Gross Motor Function Measurement(GMFM) and Selective Voluntary Motor Control (SVMC) in children with Spastic diplegia.Methods During this experiment, the subject of four children diagnosed with spastic diplegia was tested using ABA design for Single-subject Experimental Research Design. The procedure consisted of baseline, intervention and follow-up phase which was held thirty minutes each for three times a week for a total of 24 times. Gross motor function was measured using GMFM and selective voluntary motor control was measured using SCALE.Results According to this study, the gross motor function and selective voluntary motor control of all subjects were improved from their intervention phase to their baseline phase. During the follow phase which the intervention was removed, the ability that was enhanced during the prior phases was still either maintained or only reduced slightly. ConclusionThe Vojta therapy used on children diagnosed with spastic diplegia was effective on both GMFM and SVMC. In other words, the therapy was effective on coordination. However, this study is difficult to be generalized due to the insufficient number of subject. In further studies, it will be necessary to increase the number of trials with a control group in order to generalize the effectiveness of Vojta therapy.

Purpose:The purposes of this study were to examine muscle activities of trunk and lower limb during squat and 108 bows exercises and to provide objective data for establishing a training method for improving muscle strength of trunk and lower limb. Methods: Twenty normal healthy subjects participated in this study. Each exercise was divided into five periods. Muscle activities of trunk and lower limb in each period of both 108 bows and squat exercises were measured and analyzed by independent t-test. Results: In starting, mid-flexion, mid-extension, and end period muscle activities obtained from 108 bows exercise were significantly higher than those from squat exercise. However, in the final flexion period, muscle activities of multifidus, elector spinae, rectus femoris, biceps femoris, and tibialis anterior from squat exercise were significantly higher than those from bow exercise. Conclusion: In this study, high muscle activities in most muscles of trunk and lower limb were observed from all periods of 108 bows exercise except the final flexion period. Therefore, it is likely that 108 bows exercise rather than squat exercise is more suitable for high strength exercise to improve muscle strength of trunk and lower limb and thus will be applicable for strengthening muscles of trunk and lower limb of patients.