Training to Improve Walking after Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review of Parameters and Walking Outcomes.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to synthesize the literature on walking interventions for pediatric spinal cord injury (SCI) to guide future clinical trials and interventions.
Results Summary
The study found that intensive walking training, particularly overground practice, resulted in notable improvements in walking capacity, speed, and distance for children with SCI, comparable to gains seen in adults. However, the quality of pediatric studies was generally low, with high risk of bias.
Population
Children aged 1-17 years with post-birth spinal cord injury (SCI).
Effective Dosage
Not specified (training parameters varied).
Duration
Not specified (total training duration was calculated as duration × frequency × number of weeks, but exact lengths varied).
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
intensive training, including practice overground | increase | walking | children with pediatric SCI | notable improvements | results in notable improvements | #1 |
walking interventions | increase | walking capacity, speed, and distance | children and adults with SCI | comparable | improvements in walking capacity, speed, and distance were comparable | #2 |
greater total training durations | increase | walking outcomes | children and adults with SCI | greater | greater gains | #3 |
Walking or locomotor training is often initiated following pediatric spinal cord injury (SCI). There is no synthesis of the literature on interventions targeting walking for pediatric SCI, although this would assist future clinical trials and interventions. To address this need, we completed a systematic review to summarize the who, what, when, and how of walking interventions in children with SCI. Participant characteristics, training parameters, and walking outcomes with training in pediatric SCI were identified and compared with training parameters and outcomes in adults with SCI. The PubMed, Medline, AMED, Embase, PsycInfo, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and CINAHL databases were searched for studies that included participants aged 1-17 years with a SCI acquired post-birth, physical interventions, and pre- and post-training walking measures. Two researchers evaluated each study's risk of bias using a domain-based approach. Training parameters and walking outcomes were extracted. Total training duration (duration × frequency × number of weeks) was calculated. Thirteen pediatric studies (n = 43 children) were included; all but one were case series/reports. Risk of bias was high in the pediatric studies. A 2012 adult review was updated (11 studies added). As with adults, the training durations, frequencies, and modes used with the children varied; however, overground walking practice was included in 10/13 pediatric studies. Improvements in walking capacity, speed, and distance were comparable between children and adults. There was a trend for greater gains with greater total training durations. There is a paucity of high-quality research examining interventions targeting walking after pediatric SCI; however, intensive training, including practice overground, results in notable improvements.