Can adjusting body weight reveal hidden gait impairments in cerebral palsy?
NCT ID NCT04957277
First seen Aug 18, 2026 · Last updated Aug 19, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study explores how children with bilateral cerebral palsy (a condition affecting movement on both sides of the body) step, by adding or reducing body weight during walking tasks. Researchers will measure joint movements, forces, and muscle activity to understand lower limb impairments. Participants include children aged 5 to 19 with bilateral cerebral palsy or typically developing children. The goal is to gain insights that could inform future rehabilitation approaches.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- load modulation (adding or subtracting body weight up to 20%)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could improve understanding of gait impairments in cerebral palsy, potentially guiding more targeted physical therapy or rehabilitation strategies.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study with a small sample size (30 participants), so findings may not generalize widely. It does not test a treatment, so direct clinical benefits are not guaranteed.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2021
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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5 to 19 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * aged 5 years to 19 years * typically developing with no diagnosed medical conditions that affect movement, OR with a diagnosis of bilateral cerebral palsy (including diplegia, tetraplegia, and quadriplegia) where the lower limbs are more affected than the upper limbs * ability to independently step up, with or without assistive devices. Exclusion Criteria: * lower limb surgery in the past year * botulinum toxin injections to the lower limb muscles in the past 6 months * cognitive dysfunction that would make following directions difficult * comorbidities that would make participation unsafe.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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