NCT06347432

Em-power: Maximizing Functional Independence for Children With Severe Cerebral Palsy

• Status: Enrolling By Invitation
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 16 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Grand Valley State University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 5 Years – 17 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

For children with severe cerebral palsy, a powered wheelchair (PWC) may provide their only option for functional mobility and independence. PWC use is often restricted to a small percentage of children who can quickly demonstrate proficient PWC skills within a single 30-minute PWC trial. This 2-arm, parallel group, single blinded, pre-test-post-test randomized controlled trial will test our hypothesis that an 8-week PWC skills training intervention will produce greater improvements in children's PWC skills capacity immediately after the intervention and at an 8-week follow-up assessment.

Conditions

• Cerebral Palsy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Power wheelchair skills training using the IndieTrainer system	The IndieTrainer system will be used to provide the power wheelchair (PWC) skills training sessions. The IndieTrainer is comprised of a mobility device and an array of video-based gamified training modules designed to facilitate PWC training. The IndieTrainer mobility device temporarily converts a manual wheelchair into a powered wheelchair, thereby allowing children to remain in their own manual wheelchair and use their own custom seating system during power wheelchair skills training activities. Principles outlined in the Assessment of Learning Powered mobility use (ALP) Facilitating Strategies for each ALP Assessment phase will guide the intervention sessions.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-08-29
• Primary completion: 2027-03-01
• Completion: 2027-03-01
• First posted: 2024-04-04
• Last updated: 2026-04-14

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States