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Evaluating the Effects of an Electrical Stimulator on Improving the Walking Ability of Children With Cerebral Palsy

University of Nebraska · with National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) · NCT06811545

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Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.

Key facts

Compensation
Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
Who can join
Ages 7–40 · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Interventional · Not applicable
Target enrollment
65
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
June 15, 2026
Record last updated
October 23, 2026

Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.

What the study is about

The goal of this study is to see if gentle electrical stimulation can help children with cerebral palsy (CP) walk more easily. This stimulation, called neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), sends small pulses to muscles to help them activate. Researchers will test different ways of using NMES to find out which method works best.

Participants will walk on a treadmill at a comfortable speed while NMES is applied to leg muscles. The study will compare different stimulation settings to see which one helps the most.

Being studied: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES)

Conditions: Cerebral Palsy Children; Healthy Adults

Eligibility criteria

Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.

Show full criteria

*Inclusion Criteria*

CP Group

  • Age 7-18
  • Diagnosis of spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (CP)
  • GMFCS level I-III (be able to walk with or without assistive devices)
  • MIGR \< 40% femoral head covering in acetabulum
  • Crouch, equinus, or jump gait
  • At least 0° passive dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM)
  • Sufficient visuoperceptual, cognitive, and communication skills
  • Seizure-free or well-controlled seizures
  • No other neurological or musculoskeletal disorders (e.g. dystonia, severe scoliosis, hip instability
  • Ability to travel to the University of Nebraska at Omaha two times
  • Ability to communicate pain or discomfort
  • Ability to obtain child assent and obtain parent/guardian consent

Healthy adults (control) group:

  • Adults aged 20 to 40
  • Adults with good physical health
  • Adults with the ability to follow verbal instructions
  • Adults with the ability to walk on a treadmill for 15 minutes
  • No orthopedic surgery on the lower limb within the past 3 months

*Exclusion Criteria*

CP Group

  • Diagnosis of athetoid or ataxic cerebral palsy (CP)
  • Scoliosis with primary curve > 49%
  • Spinal fusions extending into the pelvis
  • Lower Extremity (LE) joint instability or dislocation
  • Severe tactile hypersensitivity
  • LE botulinum injections in the past 6 mo
  • Implanted medical device contraindicative of functional electrical stimulation (FES)
  • Pregnancy
  • Severe LE spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale score of 4 or greater)
  • History of pulmonary disease limiting exercise tolerance (Asthma Control Test screen)
  • History of cardiac disease (American Heart Association, AH,) screen)
  • Excessive LE joint pain during walking
  • Severely limited range of joint motion/ irreversible muscle contractures, i.e.> 10° knee flexion, >15° hip flexion contractures, or >5° plantarflexion contractures
  • LE surgery or significant injury within 1 yr.

Healthy adults (control) group:

  • Adults with any chronic illnesses or medical conditions that could impact their health.
  • Adults with significant behavioral or emotional issues that could indicate developmental disorders or psychological conditions.
  • Adults with diagnosed developmental disorders (e.g., autism, ADHD, learning disabilities)
  • Adults with surgery on their lower limb within the past 3 months.

Recruiting US locations

  • University of Nebraska at Omaha, Biomechanics Research Building

    Omaha, NE 68182

    Site contact: Ahad Behboodi, PhD · 402-554-7525 · abehboodi@unomaha.edu

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Ahad Behboodi, PhD · 402-554-7525 · abehboodi@unomaha.edu
All healthy volunteers studies in Nebraska →
Evaluating the Effects of an Electrical Stimulator on Improving… (NCT06811545) | Bored Studies