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About 10,000 babies born every year will develop cerebral palsy (CP), making it essentially the most common physical disability of childhood. Children with the condition may struggle with sitting, reaching, walking and climbing stairs, resulting from irregular movements and stiff muscles.
Physical therapy exercise training will help kids improve strength, balance, aerobic capability and suppleness, helping children perform on a regular basis movements similar to sitting and standing.
There is one problem, though.
“The challenge is that some children find PT exercises repetitive, difficult or simply boring, so that they stop doing them,” says Assoc. Prof. of Physical Therapy and Kinesiology Maggie O’Neil. “In addition, kids and their families could have limited access to PT services resulting from limited health advantages or living in an area with limited services.”
In a brand new study funded by an internal seed grant, O’Neil and Computer Science Asst. Prof. Maru Cabrera have combined their expertise to search out an answer. They are evaluating whether virtual reality (VR) gaming and a roving robot can improve the mobility of a bunch of youngsters with cerebral palsy and keep them engaged. The study begins this spring within the Health Assessment Lab on South Campus.
During the study, the youngsters, ages 8 to 12, will play three therapeutic games in three different conditions: VR games, VR games with haptic vibration that simulates a way of touch, and robotic games. The movements that the youngsters do within the games align with PT exercises they do in clinical settings. The VR game activities were developed by O’Neil; Cabrera and her computer science students developed the haptic vibration and robotic games. The team features a game designer who worked with O’Neil to create the VR games.
“We will record motion data in all game conditions and learn from the children if the technologies help to motivate them to maintain moving,” says O’Neil, who has extensive clinical and research experience with promoting health, functional mobility and physical activity in youth with CP.
In the VR games, the youngsters will don headsets to be immersed in a 3D world. The headset tracks head movement, sensors on the wrists and ankles track arm and leg movements, and a tool worn on their backs tracks their trunk movements. O’Neil is in a position to adjust the gap at which a series of objects appear for every player. In one game, kids reach to grab and drag a balloon to a pin to pop it. In the VR haptic games, they are going to feel a vibration after they pop the balloon and see graffiti.
“We will test the usage of different assistive technologies like haptics to see if the youngsters’s movements improve and in the event that they are more motivated to proceed,” says Cabrera, who researches assistive technology, robotics and gesture recognition for individuals with disabilities.
In the sport with the robot, the children will wear wrist, ankle and back trackers and can reach to drop foam blocks right into a basket that’s being moved around by the robot.
Andrew Gaskins ’23, who recently accomplished the exercise science program, is working with O’Neil as a research assistant, confirming the clinical data measurement protocols and conducting VR game testing. During the study, he’ll guide the participants and their parents or guardians throughout VR or robot gameplay. “So far, I even have gained a variety of wisdom in how health care research works, especially behind the scenes,” says Gaskins, who recently got accepted into physician’s assistant school.
“It’s very worthwhile for me to be a part of a research project where I can use my creativity and apply what I’ve learned in my courses.”
Computer science major ThienTran Le ’24, who’s fascinated about research as a possible profession, jumped at the possibility to work on the project with Cabrera. When testing starts, Le will be sure that the robot games work easily and properly.
“I desired to actively make a positive impact, so this chance to assist kids improve function got here at the proper time,” says Le. “I’ve been in a position to apply a variety of my knowledge from my current classes in software development and engineering to the project. It has definitely opened my eyes to the world of robotics.”
Jiya Panchal, a sophomore computer science major, is programming the robot’s movements.
“I used to be very excited to work on a project that directly impacts children with cerebral palsy,” says Panchal. “I’m gaining a lot experience by working on this project that I’ll have the opportunity to use to my future profession. I could not be more grateful to Dr. Cabrera and the team for allowing me such an experience.”
If the research shows that the youngsters improve mobility, the subsequent step could be to expand the study.
“I can see these technologies getting used in a PT clinic and even possibly at home to offer children with greater access to care,” says O’Neil.
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