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Background and Purpose: The neuromuscular impairments seen in the ankle plantarflexors have been identified as a primary factor that limits the mobility and standing postural balance of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, few efforts have been made to find effective treatment strategies that will improve the ankle plantarflexor control. Our objective was to determine whether an intensive 14week neurorehabilitation protocol has the potential to improve the ankle plantarflexor control of individuals with MS. The secondary objectiveswere to determinewhether the protocolwould also improve postural control, plantarflexion strength, and mobility. Methods: Fifteen individuals withMSparticipated in a 14-week neurorehabilitation protocol, and 20 healthy adults served as a comparison group. The primary measure was the amount of variability in the submaximal steady-state isometric torque, which assessed plantarflexor control. Secondary measures were the Sensory Organization Test composite score, maximum plantarflexion torque, and the spatiotemporal gait kinematics. Results: There was less variability in the plantarflexion torques after the neurorehabilitation protocol (preintervention, 4.15% ± 0.5%; postintervention, 2.27%±0.3%). In addition, therewere less postural sway (preintervention, 51.87 ± 0.2 points; postintervention, 67.8 ± 0.5 points), greater plantarflexion strength (preintervention, 0.46 ± 0.04 Nm/kg; postintervention, 0.57 ± 0.05 Nm/kg), and faster walking speeds (preferred preintervention, 0.71 ± 0.05 m/s; preferred postintervention, 0.81 ± 0.05 m/s; fast-as-possible preintervention, 0.95 ± 0.06 m/s; postintervention, 1.11 ± 0.07 m/s). All of the outcome variables matched or trended toward those seen in the controls. Discussion and Conclusions: The outcomes of this exploratory study suggest that the neurorehabilitation protocol employed in this investigation has the potential to promote clinically relevant improvements in the ankle plantarflexor control, standing postural balance, ankle plantarflexion strength, and the mobility of individuals with MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports a study which investigated the effect of body weight–supported treadmill training (BWSTT) on motor behavior of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and the activity of the somatosensory cortices. The results demonstrated that 6 weeks of BWSTT reduces the neuromagnetic activity of the somatosensory cortices in children with CP. BWSTT sensorimotor experience may result in a reduction in the cortical processing demands of children with CP.

Purpose: To determine the changes in the prefrontal cortical (PFC) activation following hand-arm bimanual intensive therapy (HABIT) in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP)., Methods: Nine children with HCP and 15 children who were developing typically participated in the study. Children with HCP received 50 hours of HABIT. We assessed pre- and post-HABIT PFC activation using functional near-infrared spectroscopy neuroimaging. Bimanual coordination and motor task performance were assessed using the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA), the average number of shapes matched, the shape matching errors, the reaction time, the 9-hole peg test, and the box and blocks test., Results: The PFC activation decreased following HABIT and became similar to what was seen in the children who were developing typically. Post-HABIT PFC activation improvements paralleled with the improvements seen in the AHA and the behavioral outcomes., Conclusion: HABIT potentially improves the PFC's involvement in the action planning of the upper extremity movements in children with HCP.