ROBOT-ASSISTED MOBILITY FOR INFANTS WITH SEVERE SPINA SPINA

描述（由申请人提供）：对于典型的儿童来说，通过爬行和行走实现独立移动是他们婴儿期的标志，并导致认知，知觉和运动发展的爆炸。对于有严重行动障碍的儿童，如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，并可能导致他们的发展爆炸。目前，没有电动轮椅，也没有针对2岁以下特殊需求婴儿的培训方案;因此，将电动移动引入他们的生活的影响尚不清楚。这项研究将是第一个量化的效果，密集的动力轮椅训练的特殊需要的婴儿与任何诊断。具体来说，我们将量化训练对脊髓脊膜膨出婴儿驾驶和发育的影响，脊髓脊膜膨出是最常见但最严重的脊柱裂。我们将跟踪两组7个月至12个月大的婴儿。训练婴儿将接受标准化训练方案，每周3次。对照组婴儿将接受设备熟悉时间，每周1次。在整个研究过程中，将测试训练组和对照组的定向驾驶能力;在开放式探索性驾驶期间的驾驶长度、持续时间和路径;以及他们的运动、知觉、认知和社会发展。这项修订后的R21是正在进行的工程-婴儿康复合作的一项创新、可行的应用，将为首次对患有严重行动障碍的婴儿进行长期力量行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，并导致认知，知觉和社会发展的爆炸。长期以来，通过电动轮椅提供移动性对于具有显著移动障碍的婴儿来说是重要的。目前还没有关于这种早期使用电动轮椅的影响的全面研究。在这个项目中，我们将首次量化电动轮椅训练对患有严重脊柱裂的幼儿的活动性和发育的影响。

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.