Current Research Project

Title / Titel
PDF
Robotic-assisted locomotor training in gait rehabilitation of children
Summary / Zusammenfassung
In recent years neuroscience has found that repetitive, intensive and task specific training induces neuronal plasticity and subsequently cortical reorganisation after brain damage. The Lokomat® – a robotic-assisted gait trainer – was originally invented by Paracare (Balgrist) of the University Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich. The Rehabilitation Centre of the University Children’s Hospital has been involved in the development of the paediatric module of the Lokomat. The Pediatric Lokomat, clinically deployed in our rehabilitation centre since early 2006, offers the opportunity to practice a most physiological gait pattern in a high intensity and frequency for children with gait impairment due to spinal or cerebral motor disorder. With this new tool, not only longer distances and therefore “higher dosages” of gait therapy, but also various and higher speeds can be trained, which is not possible to this extent with conventional physiotherapeutic methods. The Pediatric Lokomat raises many new topics of research about the effectiveness, dosage and age related application of this new therapy. Further optimisation of motor learning programs are of utmost importance; the Lokomat offers an interesting research model due to its compatibility with technologies such as virtual reality.
The Pediatric Lokomat (PeLo)research projects mainly covers following fields:

- PeLoClinics: Feasibility and effectivity of robotic-assisted gait training in children
- PeLoGAIT: Changes of robotic assisted gait training investigated by 3D Video Gaitanalysis
- PeLoViR-Project: VR-Based/multimodal biofeedback for enhancement of robotic guided locomotor training in children with central gait impairment.
- PeLoTool-Project: Validation of assessment-tools of the Pediatric Lokomat
- PeLoBase-Project: Setup of a multicenter Pediatric LOKOMAT Database (PeLoBase): see separat entry
- GABARELLO: game based rehabilitation for Lokomat
Weitere Informationen
Publications / Publikationen
- Meyer-Heim A, Ammann-Reiffer C, Schmartz A, Schäfer J, Sennhauser FH, Heinen F, Knecht B, Dabrowski E, Borggraefe I. Improvement of walking abilities after robotic-assisted locomotion training in children with cerebral palsy. Arch Dis Child. 2009 Feb 10. [Epub ahead of print]
- König A , Wellner M, Koeneke S, Meyer-Heim A, Lünenburger A, Riener R. Virtual Gait Training for Children with Cerebral Palsy using the Lokomat Gait Orthosis. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2008;132:204-9.
- Brütsch, K; König, A; Zimmerli, L; Guidali, M; Duschau-Wicke, A; Meyer-Heim, A; Lünenburger, L; Köneke, S; Jäncke, L; Riener, R; Wellner , M (2008). Virtual environments increase participation of children with cerebral palsy in robot-aided treadmill training. In: IEEE,. Virtual Rehabilitation 2008. Vancouver, Canada, 121-126.
- Borggräfe I, Meyer-Heim A, Heinen F. Lokomotionstraining für Kindern mit einer Roboter-gestützten Gangorthese. Pädiat. Prax. 2008, 72:279-284.
- Borggräfe I, Kumar A, Schäfer JS, Berweck S, Meyer-Heim A, Hufschmidt A, Heinen F. Robotergestützte Laufbandtherapie für Kinder mit zentralen Gangstörungen. Monatschr Kinderheilk 2007;155:6;529-34.
- Borggraefe I, Meyer-Heim A, Kumar A, Schaefer JS, Berweck S, Heinen F. Significant improvement of gait parameters after robotic assisted locomotor treadmill therapy in a 6 year old child with cerebral palsy. Mov Disord 2007; 23:280-3.
- Meyer-Heim A, Borggraefe I, Reiffer C, Berweck St, Sennhauser FH, Colombo G Knecht B Heinen F. Feasiblity of Robotic assisted locomotor training in children with central gait impairment: Dev Med Child Neurol. 2007;49:900-6.
- Borggräfe I, Kumar A, Schäfer JS, Berweck S, Meyer-Heim A, Hufschmidt A, Heinen F. Robotergestützte Laufbandtherapie für Kinder mit zentralen Gangstörungen. Monatschr Kinderheilk 2007;155:6;529-34.
- Borggraefe I, Meyer-Heim A, Kumar A, Schaefer JS, Berweck S, Heinen F. Significant improvement of gait parameters after robotic assisted locomotor treadmill therapy in a 6 year old child with cerebral palsy. Mov Disord. 2007 Nov 12; [Epub ahead of print]
- Meyer-Heim A, Reiffer C, Borggraefe I. Roboter-unterstütztes Gangtraining bei Kindern mit zentralen Bewegungsstörungen. Praxis Ergotherapie 2007; Vol 1:15-18.
- Meyer-Heim AD, Retzl I, Knecht B, Sennhauser FH, G. Colombo. Robotic assisted locomotor training – feasible treatment option for children? Neurorehabilitation & Neural repair 2006; 20(1): P1-39, S134.
- Meyer-Heim A, Reiffer C, Sennhauser FH, Colombo G, Knecht B. First steps with the Pediatric Lokomat: feasibility of robotic-assisted locomotor training in children with central gait impairment. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology 2006; Suppl 107, Vol 48:S15.
Keywords / Suchbegriffe
child, gait, locomotor, rehabilitation, robotic-assisted, virtual-reality
Project Leadership and Contacts /
Projektleitung und Kontakte
Dr. med. Andreas Meyer-Heim, M.D. (Project Leader)Andreas.Meyer-Heim@kispi.uzh.ch
Corinne Reiffer Ammann-Reiffer, PT, MPTSc (Project Leader)corinne.ammann@kispi.uzh.ch
Schuler Tabea, MSc HMSTabea.Schuler@kispi.uzh.ch
lic. phil. Karin BrütschKarin.Brütsch@kispi.uzh.ch
Other Links to external Webpages
http://www.hocoma.ch/index.php?lang=de&page=/pages/interestgroups/pediatric_de.html
Funding Source(s) /
Unterstützt durch
Foundation, Private Sector (e.g. Industry), Others
 
In Collaboration with /
In Zusammenarbeit mit
- Robert Riener Prof. Dr. Ing. Automatic Control Laboratory, ETH Zurich/Paralab Uniklinik Balgrist Zurich
- Karin Brütsch, Lutz Jaencke Prof. Dr.; Susan Koeneke Dr. Institut für Neuropsychologie, Universität Zurich
- Ulrich Götz Prof. Interactive Design, University of Arts Zurich		Switzerland

- Gery Colombo, Dr. Hocoma medical engineering AG Volketswil
- Roland Müller Dr. , Institute of Movement Science and Sports, ETH Zurich

Switzerland

- Florian Heinen, Prof. Dr. med; Ingo Borggraefa Dr. med. Hauner'sches Kinderspital München
- Ed Dabrowski Prof. MD, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan USA

United States

Duration of Project / Projektdauer
Jan 2006 to Dec 2011

© Universität Zürich, 26. Februar 2009, Impressum