Title :
Vestibular stimulation frequency for altering spasticity in individuals with cerebral palsy
Author :
Androwis, Ghaith J. ; Strongwater, Allan ; Foulds, Richard A.
Author_Institution :
Biomed. Eng. Dept., Univ. Heights, Newark, NJ, USA
Abstract :
Mechanical vestibular stimulation for reducing spasticity is not yet well understood. It is crucial to identify the proper characteristics of mechanical stimulation needed to impact the otoliths. Therefore, vestibular stimulation was provided to 1 child with cerebral palsy (CP) and motor changes were evaluated with the Pendulum Knee Drop test (PKD), along with surface EMG before and after stimulation. The vestibular stimulation consisted of 7.5 cm of vertical oscillation at frequencies of 2 Hz and (5, 10, 15) minutes and 1 Hz and (5, 10, 15). The data in this study suggest that mechanical vestibular stimulation resulted in reduced muscle tone at both stimulation frequencies (1 and 2) Hz. Stimulation provided for 15 minutes at 2 Hz has a largest impact on the level of spasticity in an individual with CP.
Keywords :
electromyography; medical disorders; paediatrics; cerebral palsy; frequency 1 Hz; frequency 2 Hz; mechanical vestibular stimulation; motor changes; muscle tone; pendulum knee drop test; spasticity; surface EMG; time 10 min; time 15 min; time 5 min; vertical oscillation; vestibular stimulation frequency; Biomedical engineering; Joints; Knee; Legged locomotion; Mathematical model; Muscles; Oscillators; Equilibrium Point Hypothesis (EPH); Pendulum Knee Drop (PKD); Spasticity; Vestibular Stimulation; motor control; muscle tone;
Conference_Titel :
Bioengineering Conference (NEBEC), 2014 40th Annual Northeast
Conference_Location :
Boston, MA
DOI :
10.1109/NEBEC.2014.6972713