Rehabilitation Assessment of Motor Function In Cerebral Palsy Using Explainable AI

June 1, 2026 updated by: Riphah International University

Rehabilitation Assessment of Motor Function in Ambulatory Children With Cerebral Palsy Using Explainable Machine Learning

The goal of this observational study is to develop and validate an AI-based prediction model for functional mobility and gait outcomes in children with cerebral palsy using low-cost clinical and gait data collected in rehabilitation settings in Pakistan. The study aims to determine whether machine learning models can accurately predict mobility status, gait symmetry, and functional independence in ambulatory and non-ambulatory children with cerebral palsy.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Can clinical and gait-related variables accurately predict functional mobility and gait outcomes in children with spastic cerebral palsy?
  • Can video-based assessment tools provide clinically useful data for AI-based rehabilitation assessment in low-resource settings?

Researchers will analyze clinical, functional, and gait data to identify patterns associated with mobility limitations and rehabilitation outcomes.

Participants will:

  • Undergo clinical and functional assessments, including measures of balance, mobility, posture, and functional independence.
  • Perform gait and movement tasks while data are collected using AI-based video analysis tools.
  • Participate in routine rehabilitation sessions while their movement and functional performance are recorded for analysis.
  • Provide demographic and clinical information relevant to cerebral palsy severity and functional status.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) commonly experience limitations in functional independence and mobility, which significantly affect participation and quality of life. Accurate assessment of these functional abilities is essential for rehabilitation planning, prognosis estimation, and monitoring treatment outcomes. However, conventional assessment methods largely depend on therapist observation and standardized clinical scales, which may be subjective, time-consuming, and less sensitive to complex interactions among clinical variables. In low-resource rehabilitation settings, the limited availability of advanced assessment technologies further restricts objective and data-driven clinical decision-making. Therefore, there is a growing need for innovative, accessible, and reliable approaches to improve rehabilitation assessment in children with CP.

The novelty of this study lies in the application of machine learning techniques to rehabilitation assessment of functional independence and mobility in children with cerebral palsy. Unlike traditional approaches that rely solely on isolated clinical interpretation, this study aims to integrate multiple clinical and functional parameters to identify predictive patterns associated with mobility and independence outcomes. The proposed approach introduces a data-driven and potentially more objective framework for rehabilitation assessment, supporting early identification of functional limitations and personalized intervention planning. Additionally, conducting this research in a low-resource context contributes further novelty by exploring the feasibility of implementing machine learning-based rehabilitation assessment tools in settings where advanced gait laboratories and expensive technologies are not readily available.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

200

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
      • Islamabad, Pakistan
      • Islamabad, Pakistan
        • Army special education Academy
      • Islamabad, Pakistan
      • Karachi, Pakistan

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Children with cerebral palsy classified within Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Levels I-III who are ambulatory with or without assistive devices and receiving routine physiotherapy rehabilitation. Participants from all cerebral palsy subtypes will be included for clinical, functional, and gait assessment related to AI-based evaluation of functional mobility and gait outcomes.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 4 to18 years
  • Diagnosed any motor type of cerebral palsy (spastic, dyskinetic, ataxic, mixed),)
  • GMFCS levels I -III (able to walk with or without an assistive device).
  • All participants must be able to ambulate at least 10 meters with or without an assistive device.
  • Capable of following simple verbal instructions.
  • Parental informed consent and child assent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Recent orthopedic or neurosurgical interventions (<6 months).
  • Uncontrolled seizures affecting gait.
  • Non-ambulatory (GMFCS IV-V) or cognitive impairments preventing cooperation.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Ambulatory Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy (GMFCS I-III)
Children diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy who are ambulatory and classified within Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Levels I to III. Participants will undergo clinical, functional, and gait assessments for AI-based prediction of functional mobility and gait outcomes
Other: AI-Based Functional Mobility and Gait Assessment
Participants will continue receiving their standard/routine physiotherapy rehabilitation program as prescribed by their treating therapist. The study will involve observational collection of clinical, functional, and gait-related data using standardized assessment tools, and AI-based video analysis. No additional therapeutic intervention will be administered specifically for research purposes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
GMFM-66
Time Frame: Baseline to 6 months followup
GMFM (Gross Motor Function Measure) Reliability: Excellent. Internal consistency Cronbach's α ~0.997-1.00; intra- and inter-rater ICC ~0.994-0.999 (both GMFM-88 & GMFM-66) Validity: Construct and concurrent validity supported by strong correlations with related motor function classifications (e.g., GMFCS, PEDI mobility)
Baseline to 6 months followup
Markerless Gait Analysis
Time Frame: Baseline to 6 months

Gait videos will be processed using a validated markerless pose estimation framework (MediaPipe) Spatiotemporal and kinematic gait parameters will be extracted, including but not limited to:

  • Step length symmetry
  • Cadence
  • Stride time variability
  • Joint angle trajectories
  • Temporal asymmetry indices
Baseline to 6 months
Edinburgh visual gait scale (EVGS)
Time Frame: Baseline to 6 Months
Edinburgh visual gait scale (EVGS) EVGS can be a supportive tool that adds quantitative data instead of only qualitative assessment to a video only gait evaluation. Interobserver agreement is 60-90% and Kappa values are 0.18-0.85 for the 17 items in EVGS. Reliability is higher for distal segments (foot/ankle/knee 63-90%; trunk/pelvis/hip 60-76%). Agreement between EVGS and 3DGA is 52-73%.
Baseline to 6 Months
WeeFIM (Functional Independence Measure for Children)
Time Frame: Baseline to 6 months
WeeFIM (Functional Independence Measure for Children) Reliability: High internal consistency and ICCs (motor and cognitive scales) ~0.91-0.98 in children with cerebral palsy Validity: Construct and external validity supported (scale fits Rasch model expectations and correlates with related developmental measures)
Baseline to 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
System usabiity scale (SUS)
Time Frame: 6 months
10 items likert scale questionnaire evaluating percieved usability and acceptability
6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Riphah International University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Sidra Ghias, PhD* Rehab, Riphah International university Isalambad

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

June 10, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 18, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 1, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 1, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • RCRAHS-ISB/REC/PhD/011111

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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