P178 – 2253: The effect of age on the improvement in motor function in patients with cerebral palsy after undergoing robotic-assisted locomotor therapy

Objective Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental disorder and its manifestations usually change during the course of development. Currently, increasing emphasis is being placed on a pro-active approach in therapy, including intensive, repetitive targeted training stimulating neuroplasticity. Robotic-assisted bodyweight-supported treadmill therapy (RATT) enabled by driven gait orthosis can improve motor functions in patients with movement disorders. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of patient's age on improvement of motor functions in patients with CP. Methods 78 patients (44 males) with bilateral spastic CP, aged 4–25 years underwent 20 therapeutic units (T.U.) of RATT using driven gait orthosis with a frequency of 3 to 5 times a week. The patients participating in the study were divided into groups according to age and severity of motor impairment determined by the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Outcome measures were dimension A (lying, rolling), B (sitting), C (crawling, kneeling), D (standing) and E (walking, running, jumping) of the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88). Results After completing 20 therapeutic units patients demonstrated highly statistically significant improvement (p Conclusion Our study indicates, that RATT can improve the gross motor functions. Effect of the age on improvement in this study has not been demonstrated. Thus, RATT can be suitable and promising treatment option in ambulatory and nonambulatory patients with CP of all ages.