Article

Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) have impaired movement due to a brain
injury near birth. Understanding how neuromuscular control is altered in CP can
provide insight into pathological movement. We sought to determine if individuals
with CP demonstrate reduced complexity of neuromuscular control during gait
compared with unimpaired individuals and if changes in control are related to
functional ability. METHOD: Muscle synergies during gait were retrospectively
analyzed for 633 individuals (age range 3.9-70y): 549 with CP (hemiplegia, n=122;
diplegia, n=266; triplegia, n=73; quadriplegia, n=88) and 84 unimpaired
individuals. Synergies were calculated using non-negative matrix factorization
from surface electromyography collected during previous clinical gait analyses.
Synergy complexity during gait was compared with diagnosis subtype, functional
ability, and clinical examination measures. RESULT: Fewer synergies were required
to describe muscle activity during gait in individuals with CP compared with
unimpaired individuals. Changes in synergies were related to functional
impairment and clinical examination measures including selective motor control,
strength, and spasticity. INTERPRETATION: Individuals with CP use a simplified
control strategy during gait compared with unimpaired individuals. These results
were similar to synergies during walking among adult stroke survivors, suggesting
similar neuromuscular control strategies between these clinical populations.
CI - (c) 2015 Mac Keith Press.

Langue : ANGLAIS