ROBOT-ASSISTED MOBILITY FOR INFANTS WITH SEVERE SPINA SPINA

描述（由申请人提供）：对于典型的孩子来说，通过爬行和行走来实现独立的行动能力是他们婴儿期的一个标志，并导致认知、知觉和运动发展的爆炸式增长。对于那些有严重行动障碍的儿童，比如那些患有严重脊柱裂的儿童，电动轮椅提供了行动能力和独立性，也可能导致他们的发展出现爆炸式增长。目前，没有电动轮椅，也没有针对两岁以下有特殊需要的婴儿的培训方案；因此，在他们的生活中引入权力流动的影响是未知的。这项研究将首次量化电动轮椅强化训练对任何诊断为特殊需要的婴儿的影响。具体来说，我们将量化训练对脊髓脊膜膨出婴儿的驱动和发展的影响，脊髓脊膜膨出是最常见的，但也是最严重的脊柱裂形式。我们将跟踪两组7个月到12个月大的婴儿。训练婴儿将接受标准化的训练方案，每周3次。对照组婴儿将接受每周1次的设备熟悉时间。在整个研究过程中，训练组和对照组都将测试他们的定向驾驶能力；在露天勘探驾驶中行驶的长度、持续时间和路径；以及他们的运动，知觉，认知和社会发展。修订后的R21是正在进行的工程-婴儿康复合作的一项创新的、可行的应用，并将为首个对具有显著行动障碍的婴儿进行长期动力活动训练的随机对照试验提供基础。公共卫生相关性：爬行和行走是婴儿期的标志，导致认知、知觉和社会发展的爆炸式增长。长期以来，人们一直认为通过电动轮椅为行动不便的婴儿提供活动能力很重要。目前还没有对早期使用电动轮椅的影响进行全面的研究。在这个项目中，我们将首次量化电动轮椅训练对严重脊柱裂幼儿行动能力和发育的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): For the typical child, achieving independent mobility by crawling and walking is a hallmark of their infancy and results in an explosion of cognitive, perceptual and motor development. For children with significant mobility impairments, such as those with severe spina bifida, power wheelchairs provide mobility and independence, and potentially also lead to an explosion in their development. Currently, there are no power wheelchairs and no training protocols for special needs infants less than 2 yrs of age; thus the effect of introducing power mobility into their lives is unknown. This study will be the first to quantify the effect of intensive power wheelchair training on special needs infants with any diagnosis. Specifically, we will quantify the effect of training on the driving and development of infants with myelomeningocele, the most common, yet most severe form of spina bifida. We will follow two groups of infants from 7 months to 12 months of age. Training infants will receive a standardized training protocol 3x/week. Control infants will receive time in the device for familiarization 1x/week. Both training and control groups will be tested throughout the study on their directional driving ability; their driving length, duration and path during open exploratory driving; and their motor, perceptual, cognitive and social development. This revised R21 is an innovative, feasible application of ongoing engineering-infant rehabilitation collaboration, and will provide the foundation for the first randomized controlled trial of long term power mobility training of infants with significant mobility impairments. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Crawling and walking are hallmarks of infancy and lead to an explosion in cognitive, perceptual and social development. Providing mobility via power wheelchairs has long been proposed to be important for infants with significant mobility impairments. There are no comprehensive studies of the effect of such early power wheelchair use. In this project, we will quantify, for the first time, the effect of power wheelchair training on the mobility and development of young infants with severe spina bifida.