ROBOT-ASSISTED MOBILITY FOR INFANTS WITH SEVERE SPINA SPINA

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Abstract 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.