Operant Conditioning of the Soleus Stretch Reflex in Adults With Cerebral Palsy
12 adults with spastic CP will complete 6 baseline sessions and 24 down conditioning sessions held 3 times/week. All clinical and physiological assessments collected at baseline will be reassessed after study completion, and follow ups after 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months. The soleus H reflex (electric analogue of the stretch reflex) will be elicited in all sessions. In each session, participants will complete 20 baseline trials and 225 down conditioning trials to decrease the magnitude of the H-Reflex.
• Age 18 and above
• Diagnosis of spastic Cerebral Palsy
• Gross Motor Function Classification System level I-III
• Stable medical background
• Current medication will remain unchanged for 3 months
• Provides informed consent
• can walk at least 10 meters with or without assistive device
• meets minimum study procedure requirements (elicitation of H-reflex).