Step initation in children with typical development and children with faulty posture

• Register: ANZCTR
• Last refreshed on: 20 August 2018
• Main ID: ACTRN12617001068358
• Date of registration: 21/07/2017
• Prospective Registration: Yes
• Primary sponsor: Medical University of Silesia
• Public title: Step initation in children with typical development and children with faulty posture
• Scientific title: Posturographic assessment of step initation in children with typical development and children with faulty posture
• Date of first enrolment: 24/07/2017
• Target sample size: 36
• Recruitment status: Completed
• URL: http://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12617001068358.aspx
• Study type: Observational

Health Condition(s) or Problem(s) studied

children with faulty posture

Intervention(s)

The main aim of the study is posturographic assessment of step initiation in children aged 5-6 years. Step initiation will be studied in children with faulty posture who had been diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders during infancy (experimental group) and in healthy children with no history of postural control or movement deficits.
All children will undergo a three-stage postural assessment including neurological examination by a child neurologist and physiotherapy examination by a neurodevelopmental physiotherapist. Based on these examinations the children will be allocated to the experimental (children with faulty posture) or control group (healthy children).
The third stage will be step initiation assessment in both groups. The measurement station will consist of two (A and B) force AMTI platforms (AccuGait), charge amplifier and computer. Digital output from the platform will be recorded using AMTI's NetForce software with recording frequency of 100 Hz.
Quiet standing will be the starting position in all trials with feet comfortably aligned, arms along the trunk and eyes looking straight ahead.
Assessment of step initiation will comprise four trials:
1. Three repetitions: quiet standing on platform A for 15 seconds, then changing to Platform B (1 step) followed by quiet standing for another 15 seconds. The distance between platforms: 10cm.
2. Three repetitions: quiet standing on Platform A for 15 seconds, then changing to Platform B (1 step) followed by quiet standing for another 15 seconds. A 15-cm obstacle over the edge of the platforms; the distance between platforms: 10 cm.
3. Three repetitions – quiet standing on Platform A for 15 seconds, then changing to Platform B (1 step up) followed by quiet standing for another 15 seconds. Platform B is placed on a 17-cm base directly at the edge of Platform A.
4. Three repetitions – quiet standing on Platform B for 15 seconds, then changing to Platform A (1 step down) followed by quiet standing for another 15 seconds. Platform B is placed on a 17-cm base directly at the edge of Platform A.
Platform changing will each time start at a sound signal.

The recording of center of foot pressure (COP) displacements will be divided into three phases:
Phase 1 – quiet standing before step initiation
Phase 2 – transit
Phase 3 – quiet standing until measurement completion.
The recording will be divided into phases using an algorithm whose main elements will be foot contact with the platform and the limit of momentary COP displacement; beyond that point exit from stability or stability gain will be observed. Stability is defined as body sway where momentary COP displacement does not exceed average COP displacement plus three standard deviations. For Phase 1, average COP and SD will be calculated based on measurements made within the first 5 sec of the test. For Phase 3 – based on the last 5 sec of the test.

The assessment will comprise two sessions: neurological and physiotherapy examinations on one day - the approximate duration of this session is 45 minutes (Stages 1 and 2);  step initiation assessment on another day - the approximate duration of this session is  20 minutes (Stage 3).