The Decline in Walking Performance in Adults With Cerebral Palsy - Influence of Performance Fatigability

The Decline in Walking Performance in Adults With Cerebral Palsy - Influence of Performance Fatigability

Due to an early brain injury occurring in antenatal or postnatal, cerebral palsy (CP) causes alteration in motor function with posture and gait disorders. It is commonly observed motor performance degradation during adulthood, and the underlying pathophysiology remains poorly known.

One of the hypotheses to explain the decline in walking capacities in adults with CP is their greater fatigability, that could be related to energy overconsumption (due to the specific biomechanical constraints of their walking pattern) and/or the occurrence of early sarcopenia affecting the compensatory muscle mechanisms commonly seen in children to compensate for architectural disorders and posture alterations. To optimize prevention and/or therapy in these patients, it is crucial to better understand the aetiology of fatigability and its role in the decline in walking performance.

Inclusion Criteria:

Common for CP and healthy volunteers:

• Capable of walking for six minutes without stopping
• Capable of consenting to the tests

Specific for the CP group

• GMFCS I or II at age 18
• Spastic diplegic cerebral palsy

Exclusion Criteria:

• Counter-indications to the test procedures
• Mental retardation or intelligence quotient (IQ) below 80
• Accompanying diseases not allowing for the test setup
• Major surgeries altering performance in the last six months
• Injection of botulin altering maximal force production in the last three months
• Refusing to sign the consent form