The primary objective of this study remains the same: to link the capabilities of people with physical impairments to his or her ability to perform activities of daily living. Many of the methodologies remain the same as well, the core of which is 3D movement analysis. However, the assessment of impairments has been expanded to include assessments of muscle strength, spasticity and muscle size. Balance assessment has also been added. The tasks to be examined have also expanded to include the use of exercise devices and clinical interventions such as electrical simulation as a functional orthoses to improve gait function. We have also reduced the age to birth to allow us to study infant muscles and motor abilities. Data are collected on both healthy volunteers and the target patient groups for some of the interventions. We have collected gait data on different patient groups as well as healthy volunteers, specifically those with cerebral palsy, brachial plexus palsy and adults with dystonia. One paper on muscle strength in individuals with brachial plexus palsy compared to age matched controls was published this year and we are working on another on arm kinematic differences during functional movements across groups.
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