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Home / Equine Research Bank / Biomed Res Int / Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Riding for Children with...
BioMed research international2018; 2018; 4190249; doi: 10.1155/2018/4190249

Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Riding for Children with Cerebral Palsy Gross Motor Functions.

Abstract: . To evaluate the effects of riding for beginners (short-term) and advanced (long-term) riders with cerebral palsy on their whole mobility. The study involved 15 subjects (two girls and eleven boys). The subjects were aged from 3 to 19 years (8.73 years ± 5.85). All of the subjects had been diagnosed with a spastic form of cerebral palsy. The duration of the participation differed as follows: the advanced subjects had been riding for 1-4 years (2.66 years ± 1.16), while the beginners have been riding for two weeks (10 sessions). Group I (advanced riders) consisted of eight subjects (7 boys and 1 girl) who had therapy sessions regularly once a week and differed only in terms of the duration of their participation in the experiment. Group II (beginners) consisted of seven children (1 girl and 6 boys) who participated in only 10 riding sessions. All of the subjects were assessed according to the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and Gross Motor Function Classification System for CP (GMFCS) both before the investigation and after it. . Ten riding lessons did not have an influence on the beginner riders with cerebral palsy gross motor functions and their gross motor function level did not change. However, in half of the advanced riders with cerebral palsy, the gross motor functions significantly improved. Meanwhile, the level of the performance of the gross motor skills in the four advanced riders increased, but this difference was not statistically significant.
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Publication Date: 2018-07-08 PubMed ID: 30069468PubMed Central: PMC6057413DOI: 10.1155/2018/4190249Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Clinical Trial
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research study examines the impact of horse riding therapy on children with cerebral palsy (CP), assessing both short-term and long-term effects on their mobility. The findings indicate that while short-term horse riding exercises do not seem to significantly improve mobility for beginners, long-term engagement shows significant improvement in mobility in half of the advanced participants.

Subjects and Methodology

  • The study involves 15 subjects aged between 3 to 19 years. All the children have been diagnosed with spastic form of cerebral palsy.
  • The subjects were divided into two groups: Group I (advanced riders) and Group II (beginners). Group I consisted of eight subjects who had regular therapy sessions once a week for 1-4 years. Group II consisted of seven children who participated in 10 riding sessions over two weeks.
  • The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) and Gross Motor Function Classification System for CP (GMFCS) were employed to assess all subjects before and after the investigation.

Findings and Interpretation

  • The study found no significant improvement in gross motor functions or in the level of gross motor function in beginner riders after ten riding sessions.
  • Conversely, positive results were seen in the advanced riders: in half of the advanced riders, the gross motor functions showed significant improvement afterlong-term horse riding therapy. The level of performance of the gross motor skills also increased in four of the advanced riders, although this increase was not statistically significant.
  • These findings suggest that while short-term engagement in horse riding therapy may not yield significant improvements, long-term participation can result in meaningful enhancements in the gross motor functions of children with cerebral palsy.

Implications

  • The results of the study emphasize the potential benefits of horse riding therapy as a long-term treatment option to improve gross motor functions in children with cerebral palsy.
  • While further research with more participants might be needed to strengthen the study’s conclusions, the positive impact seen in the advanced riders suggests that incorporating such therapy into treatment plans could be beneficial for children with CP.

Cite This Article

APA
Žalienė L, Mockevičienė D, Kreivinienė B, Razbadauskas A, Kleiva Ž, Kirkutis A. (2018). Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Riding for Children with Cerebral Palsy Gross Motor Functions. Biomed Res Int, 2018, 4190249. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/4190249

Publication

BioMed research international
ISSN: 2314-6141
NlmUniqueID: 101600173
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 2018
Pages: 4190249
PII: 4190249

Researcher Affiliations

Žalienė, L
  • Klaipėda University's Faculty of Health Sciences, Klaipėda LT-92294, Lithuania.
Mockevičienė, D
  • Klaipėda University's Faculty of Health Sciences, Klaipėda LT-92294, Lithuania.
Kreivinienė, B
  • Klaipėda University's Faculty of Health Sciences, Klaipėda LT-92294, Lithuania.
  • Lithuanian Sea Museum, Klaipėda LT-93100, Lithuania.
Razbadauskas, A
  • Klaipėda University's Faculty of Health Sciences, Klaipėda LT-92294, Lithuania.
Kleiva, Ž
  • Klaipėda University's Faculty of Health Sciences, Klaipėda LT-92294, Lithuania.
  • Lithuanian Sea Museum, Klaipėda LT-93100, Lithuania.
Kirkutis, A
  • Klaipėda University's Faculty of Health Sciences, Klaipėda LT-92294, Lithuania.

MeSH Terms

  • Adolescent
  • Animals
  • Cerebral Palsy / rehabilitation
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Equine-Assisted Therapy
  • Female
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Motor Skills
  • Muscle Spasticity
  • Quadriplegia / rehabilitation
  • Young Adult

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Citations

This article has been cited 5 times.
  1. Hyun C, Kim K, Lee S, Ko N, Lee IS, Koh SE. The Short-term Effects of Hippotherapy and Therapeutic Horseback Riding on Spasticity in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Meta-analysis. Pediatr Phys Ther 2022 Apr 1;34(2):172-178.
    doi: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000880pubmed: 35184078google scholar: lookup
  2. Mutoh T, Mutoh T, Tsubone H, Takada M, Doumura M, Ihara M, Shimomura H, Taki Y, Ihara M. Impact of Long-Term Hippotherapy on the Walking Ability of Children With Cerebral Palsy and Quality of Life of Their Caregivers. Front Neurol 2019;10:834.
    doi: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00834pubmed: 31456733google scholar: lookup
  3. Kovács KE, Balogh ÉZ, Lovas B, Boris P, Nagy BE. The role of animal-assisted programs in physical health improvement of children and adolescents with special education needs - a systematic review. BMC Public Health 2024 Mar 15;24(1):824.
    doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-18326-ypubmed: 38491498google scholar: lookup
  4. Li J, Sánchez-García R. Equine-assisted interventions for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review. Front Psychiatry 2023;14:1277338.
    doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1277338pubmed: 38025432google scholar: lookup
  5. Gonzalez NA, Sanivarapu RR, Osman U, Latha Kumar A, Sadagopan A, Mahmoud A, Begg M, Tarhuni M, N Fotso M, Khan S. Physical Therapy Interventions in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review. Cureus 2023 Aug;15(8):e43846.
    doi: 10.7759/cureus.43846pubmed: 37736433google scholar: lookup
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