Article

Current investigation of treatment outcomes by clinicians is
currently hampered by a lack of clinically viable tools.
The use of activity
monitors specifically validated for a population could help resolve this situation. The purpose of the study was to validate an activity
monitor for monitoring children with cerebral palsy. The study was designed to
validate the duration of time spent sitting, standing and walking and the number
of steps taken when being measured by the activPAL activity monitor. STUDY
DESIGN: A validation study was undertaken. METHODS: Observations of participants
were carried out while completing a specifically designed activity course using
video footage, which were then compared to the output from the activity monitor.
RESULTS: The activity monitor was found to be valid for the time spent standing
and walking, the number of steps taken and the number of transitions.
CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that the monitor may prove useful to
clinicians as a measurement outcome device for children with hemiplegic gait
patterns resultant from cerebral palsy. However, the sensitivity of the device is
variable, and further investigations are necessary to confirm it would also be
able to detect minor changes after interventions. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The monitor
may provide clinicians with a simplistic tool that is easily utilised, to enable
audit exercises of current and future treatments.
CI - (c) The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2013.

Langue : ANGLAIS