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Contact the study team using the details below to take part. If there are no contact details below please ask your doctor in the first instance.
Cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromesDiseases of myoneural junction and muscleSystemic atrophies primarily affecting the central nervous system
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Head and trunk control (trunk control) is mandatory for effective performance of everyday functional activities such as use of vision, sitting or any upper limb activity. Children with cerebral palsy (CP), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and inherited neuromuscular disorders (NMD) experience impairments in trunk control which are a fundamental component of their condition.
Children with CP show a direct relationship between poor trunk control and compromised function. Infants with SMA1 have similar difficulty acquiring trunk control as do children with severe CP. The increasing muscle weakness in children with NMD leads to deterioration in trunk control with subsequent scoliosis. Accurate diagnosis of trunk control can enable individualised physiotherapy, when combined with treatment as usual, to improve general motor function. An objective tool is needed to provide evidence encompassing multiple therapies and centres; it will also help to monitor effectiveness of therapeutic drugs; and enable detecting in trunk control changes, pre-scoliosis, to provide appropriate treatment at the optimal time.
Our hypothesis is that segmental trunk control can be measured objectively and efficiently, classified to seven segmental levels. Our project will i) develop live imaging analysis technology to automate the assessment of trunk control in sitting, ii) provide a cost-effective and accessible tool usable within any clinic without increasing assessment time and iii) publish an online interactive database disseminating a public standard, a reference and a training resource for measuring trunk control, increasing understanding and enhancing expertise. Assessments of trunk control of children in sitting (400 CP, 20 SMA1, 40 TD, 40 NMD) will be recorded using 3D cameras available for the home market. Machine learning methods will be used to train and validate the automated diagnosis. The tool will be validated against expert clinical assessment and deployed in a format suitable for use by clinical staff in a routine clinical environment.
Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.
The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:
Observational type: Cohort study;
You can take part if:
You may not be able to take part if:
- Fixed bony deformity or other structural problem of the spine. - Surgical fixation of the spine. - SMA1 children who are on mechanical ventilation > = 16 hours per day. - SMA1 children who are deemed clinically unfit to participate by their treating clinician or parent. - Both parents or guardians do not have sufficient understanding of English to give consent. - Children who pose a physical risk to themselves or the research team.
Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.
The study is sponsored by Manchester Metropolitan University and funded by Medical Research Council (MRC) .
Your feedback is important to us. It will help us improve the quality of the study information on this site. Please answer both questions.
Read full details
for Trial ID: CPMS 44367
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