Improving Quality of Life for Individuals with Cerebral Palsy through Treatment of Gait Impairment

This book is based on presentations and discussions of a group of world-renowned experts during a symposium “International Cerebral Palsy Function & Mobility Symposium:  Improving Quality of Life for Individuals with Cerebral Palsy through Treatment of Gait Impairment” which was held in Banff, Canada, in December 2019. Clinicians and scientists are paired to discuss the current state of knowledge, working at the border of what we know and what we don’t, to advance the care of those with gait impairment due to cerebral palsy. Using authors with different focus, points of view, and ways of thinking, to help establish a framework to guide research efforts for the next five years and to ensure that progress continues to be made to improve the quality of life for those with gait impairments. Disparate topics are unified by a common format of bulleted key points and objectives at the beginning of each chapter and research goals at the end to make the results more rapidly accessible. Focus on gait and mobility in a clear, well-structured format. Enhances debate and exploration of issues. Challenges long-held assumptions to explore the current state of research, testing, and treatment and help direct it meaningfully. The disparate topics are unified by a common format of bulleted key points and objectives at the beginning of each chapter and research goals at the end to make the results more rapidly accessible. Presents objective, but also expert opinion, on how future research could be best directed. Patient goals need more attention, outcomes have stagnated, the details of the underlying neurological impairments are still a mystery, and strong evidence for what we do is desperately needed.