Mia at a speech therapy play session

Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation in gait rehabilitation young people with ABI





















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Aim

Mobility difficulties and altered walking patterns are very common following a brain injury. These can challenge a young person’s access to their home, school and the community, as well as affect self-esteem. Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) is a music therapy technique that has been shown to improve walking patterns and mobility outcomes in adults with neuro-disabilities. This is one of the first studies to investigate the effectiveness of RAS for improving walking in childhood brain injury.

Research outline

4 children and young people took part in this study. They received standard physiotherapy followed by a period of physiotherapy with music therapy (using RAS) in a multiple-baseline design. This helps the researchers compare interventions with small numbers of participants. So, can be more certain about the effect of the intervention we are studying. The walking patterns and outcomes of each young person were captured using video recording and standard tools. The results were compared and are currently being analysed.

Outcome

Conclusions will be presented here shortly.
The study will be submitted for publication in a peer reviewed academic journals.

Investigators

Dr Jonathan Pool, Music therapist and Researcher
Gemma Kelly, Physiotherapist and Researcher
Colin Hamilton, Physiotherapist and Researcher