Rhythmic cueing effects on gait parameters of children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy : an immediate entrainment study

OF THESIS RHYTHMIC CUEING EFFECTS ON GAIT PARAMETERS OF CHILDREN WITH SPASTIC DIPLEGIC CEREBRAL PALSY: AN IMMEDIATE ENTRAINMENT STUDY This study was designed to examine whether children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy can synchronize (entrain) their gait patterns with an external auditory rhythmic stimulus, and whether this rhythmic stimulus would encourage improvement in stride symmetry and knee extension at foot contact during the gait cycle. Five participants completed an immediate entrainment protocol that included a self-selected normal speed walk (SS), a self-selected normal speed walk matched with music of the same cadence (SSM), a fast walk (F), and a fast walk matched with music of the same cadence (FM). Results indicated that the participants synchronized their gait patterns with the rhythmic music stimulus, but no significant results were observed for stride symmetry or knee extension measures between no-music and music conditions. The ability to entrain to a rhythmic stimulus suggests that gait training facilitated by rhythmic cueing may be an appropriate gait habilitation technique for this population, but that research with a larger number of participants is necessary before definite conclusions in this area can be drawn. 111 Laura Clarice Jensen Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 80523 Fall 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have difficulty finding the words to express the gratitude I feel to so many for helping to make my graduate experience rich, rewarding, and successful. The following people have provided unending support throughout this education process: Advisors Dr. William Davis and Dr. Michael Thaut Thank you for providing this music therapy program, which has truly changed my life, and has provided me with a stimulating, challenging, and rewarding profession that I am excited to pursue for many years. Dr. Blythe LaGasse advisor, colleague, and friend. You suggested this fascinating thesis topic, and then (thank goodness) you lapped me. Finishing this project without your tireless assistance, support, and feedback would have been exceedingly difficult. Thank you for sharing your love of this field with me, for a tremendous academic and clinical education, and for your support in all things. I'll miss working and not working with you here in FC. My outside committee member, Dr. Brian Tracy Your excitement about Neuromuscular Aspects of Human Movement is infectious, even at 8am. Thank you for your sincere support, for your interest in learning about the field of neurologic music therapy, and for bringing your expertise to your conscientious critique of and suggestions for this research thesis. To the research team at the Center for Gait and Movement Analysis, particularly Dr. James Carollo, Sarah Recktenwall-Work, and Timothy Nicklas. Thank you for making this thesis project a reality, and for the many hours spent collecting and processing data. Sarah, this would never have happened without your tireless assistance and your willingness to explain, again, at any odd hour. Best of luck on your medical school journey you will make a wonderful physician. Jim and Tim, I look forward to hearing about the results of the entire study, and to other research that comes out of your remarkable lab. Dr. Ruth Rice I think of our trips to Denver and beyond with great fondness, and thank you for your friendship, constant encouragement, and sharing of your knowledge during this thesis project and throughout my time at CSU. Gary Kenyon Where would this project be without the Teddy Bear's Picnic? Thank you for creating music with me and for the project, for your willingness to explain computations at length, and for your great patience and kindness. Thank you to the participants and families, who kindly gave their time and energy so that the research proposal could become an actuality. I hope that this and other projects will positively inform treatment possibilities for children with cerebral palsy. James zumBrunnen I could not have completed the analysis of the data without your statistics expertise and your patient explanations. Thank you for your kindness.