Cost of walking in adults with cerebral palsy

Project leader

Associate professor, Linda Rennie, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital/Oslo Metropolitan University

Abstract

Fatigue is a widespread problem, reported in over 30 % of neurological patients, and in about half of adults with cerebral palsy (CP). Fatigue occurs even more in those individuals who have experienced deteriorated walking. Children and adolescents with CP have high oxygen consumption relative to their maximum capacity (i.e. physical strain) when walking at preferred speed and this is negatively associated with physical activity. To what extent or in what manner walking ability deteriorates in adults with CP and how this physical strain impacts their walking and physical activity level is unknown, as we lack studies with objective measures of walking function over adult life span for this patient group.

In addition to deteriorated walking function, adults with CP experience age-related physiological changes as decreased strength or physical fitness earlier than age-matched able-bodied. Even small physiological changes can affect level of independence, especially in persons who’s physical capacity is already reduced when they reach adulthood. This research project consist of a main project and a sub-project. Running title of the research project is “The Cost Of Walking in Adults with Cerebral palsy” (The COWAC study). The main project is titled “The interplay of fatigue and physical strain – challenges in adult life with cerebral palsy” and the sub-project is titled “The cost of walking in adults with cerebral palsy – cardiorespiratory and biomechanical constraints and how they predict physical activity”. This project aims to increase knowledge of the changes in gait function, mobility and fatigue throughout adulthood, to investigate the relation of cost of walking and fatigue, the relation of cost of walking and physical activity, and ensure valid and reliable test methods of cost of walking in this group.  

Ethical approvals

• REK: 530205
• Sikt: 655023 (- Interplay of physical strain and fatigue)
• Sikt: (- Cardiorespiratory and biomechanical constraints)

Funding

Oslo Metropolitan University (KD-midler)

Time period

01.01.23 – 31.12.27