Electric pulses may ease walking for kids with cerebral palsy
NCT ID NCT06811545
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests if gentle electrical stimulation to leg muscles can help children with cerebral palsy walk more easily. About 65 children (ages 7-18) will walk on a treadmill while different stimulation settings are compared. The goal is to find which method works best to improve their walking pattern.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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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 65 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2029
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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7 to 40 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\* CP Group: * Age 7-18 * Diagnosis of spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (CP) * GMFCS level I-III (be able to walk with or without assistive devices) * MIGR \< 40% femoral head covering in acetabulum * Crouch, equinus, or jump gait * At least 0° passive dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) * Sufficient visuoperceptual, cognitive, and communication skills * Seizure-free or well-controlled seizures * No other neurological or musculoskeletal disorders (e.g. dystonia, severe scoliosis, hip instability * Ability to travel to the University of Nebraska at Omaha two times * Ability to communicate pain or discomfort * Ability to obtain child assent and obtain parent/guardian consent Healthy adults (control) group: * Adults aged 20 to 40 * Adults with good physical health * Adults with the ability to follow verbal instructions * Adults with the ability to walk on a treadmill for 15 minutes * No orthopedic surgery on the lower limb within the past 3 months \*Exclusion Criteria\* CP Group: * Diagnosis of athetoid or ataxic cerebral palsy (CP) * Scoliosis with primary curve \> 49% * Spinal fusions extending into the pelvis * Lower Extremity (LE) joint instability or dislocation * Severe tactile hypersensitivity * LE botulinum injections in the past 6 mo * Implanted medical device contraindicative of functional electrical stimulation (FES) * Pregnancy * Severe LE spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale score of 4 or greater) * History of pulmonary disease limiting exercise tolerance (Asthma Control Test screen) * History of cardiac disease (American Heart Association, AH,) screen) * Excessive LE joint pain during walking * Severely limited range of joint motion/ irreversible muscle contractures, i.e.\> 10° knee flexion, \>15° hip flexion contractures, or \>5° plantarflexion contractures * LE surgery or significant injury within 1 yr. Healthy adults (control) group: * Adults with any chronic illnesses or medical conditions that could impact their health. * Adults with significant behavioral or emotional issues that could indicate developmental disorders or psychological conditions. * Adults with diagnosed developmental disorders (e.g., autism, ADHD, learning disabilities) * Adults with surgery on their lower limb within the past 3 months.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Nebraska at Omaha, Biomechanics Research Building
Omaha, Nebraska, 68182, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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