Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Physical Therapy - Department of Growth and Development Disorders in Pediatrics

Purpose: to systematically review the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of that Automated locomotor Training on gait and other gait-related functions in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), EBSCO, Ovid and Google Scholar were searched from inception till July 2019. The selected studies were randomized controlled trials for children with CP received robotic assisted gait training (RAGT) as an intervention while reporting outcome measures relating to gait. The information was extracted from the selected articles using the descriptive-analytical method. Two authors independently screened articles, extracted data and assessed the methodological quality using PEDro scale and risk of bias using Cochrane assessment tool, with any confliction resolved by the third author. Results: Out of 968 papers screened, 7 studies with 172 participants met the inclusion criteria. The quality of studies ranged from 4 to 7 out of 10 on PEDro score. Included studies reported some positive benefits for RAGT with children with CP, specifically by increasing walking speed and endurance and improving gross motor functions, however a meta-analysis did not confirm these findings. Conclusion: This systematic review revealed limited to moderate evidence on the effectiveness of automated locomotor training on gait and other related functions in children with CP. Meta-analysis revealed a non-significant difference between the experimental groups and control groups for change in gait speed, dimension D and E of gross motor function measure (GMFM)

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