Stepping Responses of Infants With Myelomeningocele When Supported on a Motorized Treadmill

Abstract

Infants with MMC responded to the treadmill by stepping (but less so than infants with TD) and showing increased motor activity, but they demonstrated a different developmental trajectory. Future studies are needed to explore the impact of enhancing sensory input during treadmill practice to optimize responses in infants with MMC.

Longitudinal changes in muscle activity during infants' treadmill stepping

“…Participants were 12 infants (7 female) who were tested longitudinally for their responses to being supported upright on a motorized treadmill without any practice stepping on a treadmill between testing sessions (Teulier et al 2009). Inclusion criteria were no known physical or cognitive disabilities and gestational age Ն36 wk [group mean (SD) ϭ 39.5 (0.74) wk] when entering the study at 1 mo of age.…”

“…The percentage of alternation increases readily after the first few months to ϳ87% by 7 mo (Teulier et al 2009;Thelen and Ulrich 1991). Interlimb phase lags for alternation, as well, although demonstrating a mean of 180°out of phase, have a very high standard deviation and range from 20 to 80% in their coupling (Musselman and Yang 2008;Teulier et al 2009). The treadmill context with partial body weight support has proven useful to test theoretical questions about postnatal development of motor control, but it also presents an important opportunity for monitoring the neuromotor control of very young infants at risk for motor disabilities.…”

“…There are periods of time over the first year when most healthy babies step infrequently when supported in the treadmill context, months 1 through 2 or 3, followed by another couple of months during which infants show a gradual improvement in proportion of time during a test trial during which they produce steps (Teulier et al 2009;Thelen and Ulrich 1991). Of those steps produced, ϳ56% over the first 3 mo show the limbs engaged in alternation.…”

“…Of those steps produced, ϳ56% over the first 3 mo show the limbs engaged in alternation. The remainder includes parallel steps, in which legs initiate the swing phase at the same time, and single steps, ones that are not overlapped by a step performed by the other leg (Groenen et al 2010;Teulier et al 2009;Thelen and Ulrich, 1991). The percentage of alternation increases readily after the first few months to ϳ87% by 7 mo (Teulier et al 2009;Thelen and Ulrich 1991).…”

“…The remainder includes parallel steps, in which legs initiate the swing phase at the same time, and single steps, ones that are not overlapped by a step performed by the other leg (Groenen et al 2010;Teulier et al 2009;Thelen and Ulrich, 1991). The percentage of alternation increases readily after the first few months to ϳ87% by 7 mo (Teulier et al 2009;Thelen and Ulrich 1991). Interlimb phase lags for alternation, as well, although demonstrating a mean of 180°out of phase, have a very high standard deviation and range from 20 to 80% in their coupling (Musselman and Yang 2008;Teulier et al 2009).…”