Cerebral palsy is the most common childhood disability. This causes severe walking consequences, therefore it has a significant impact on the quality of life. Since no cure is yet available for cerebral palsy, the disability persists throughout the lifespan, leading to lifelong deficits in motor function. These deficits are also due to weak skeletal muscles. The present study aims to describe and model muscle development in children with cerebral palsy. This study will analyze muscle morphology and composition in children and young adults. The basic contractile unit of a muscle, known as sarcomere, will also be measured. The overall framework will allow us to understand the underlying mechanism driving the lack of voluntary force production. The consequence of muscle remodeling will be linked to the overall function (walking). The outcome of this project can therefore be directly applied into practice in designing personalized treatments in cerebral palsy.

2025

2029