Effects of Electromyographic Feedback Training on Motor Control in Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Electromyographic feedback training may play a special role in increasing active range of motion in spastic cerebral palsied individuals. The effects of electromyographic feedback training were documented on four persons with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy within a single subject design. Subjects received immediate auditory and visual feedback twice daily during ten consecutive days. Electromyographic feedback training resulted in increases in the active range of motion of the ankle joint of from 20 percent to 500 percent in the limbs trained during the first five days with electromyographic feedback and of from 33 percent to 450 percent in the limbs trained in the last five days. The acquired active range of motion was maintained by two of the subjects over intervals of from four to nine weeks.