Pediatric Rehab Research Group

Goals

The Pediatric Rehab Research Group contributes to the main goal of the Rehabilitation Centre Affoltern, namely to support the children and adolescents to become as independent as possible in their daily life activities, by working on the following objectives:

• to investigate and evaluate feasibility and effectiveness of conventional and new active pediatric rehabilitation interventions
• to enhance the development of sensory-motor learning programs for children and adolescents with central movement disorders
• to evaluate the outcome assessments which are used to document improvement in function
• to contribute to a consistent quality improvement of neuropediatric rehabilitation programs

The results of our scientific projects are disseminated

• by reporting and publishing results of our research projects in order to raise the awareness and increase the comprehension for research in pediatric rehabilitation
• by informing the staff of the Rehabilitation Centre about ongoing projects and results

Current Projects

The Pediatric Rehab Research Group is currently working on the following projects

• A database for pediatric Lokomat users (PeloBase)
• The creation of a child-friendly virtual environment while walking on the pediatric Lokomat (PeloVir)
• Training arm and hand function with the Pediatric Interactive Therapy System (PITS)
• The development and evaluation of a modular rehabilitation robotics system to improve locomotor function, upper extremity function, as well as cognitive and spatial functions. This project is called “innovative movement therapy in children” (iMiC)
• The development of new and the validation of existing assessment tools to evaluate functional outcome in children with neurological disorders (POEM)
• The evaluation of the effectiveness of robot-assisted locomotor therapy on ambulatory function in children with cerebral palsy (PeloGait)

• Kinematic and kinetic gait analysis of children with neurological movement disorders (3-D Gait)

Funding

The Pediatric Rehab Research Group is completely financed by third party funding. We are very grateful to have received and receive funding (in chronological order) of:

• Anna Müller Grocholski Stiftung 2003
• Kispi-Ball Donation 2005
• CS Jubiläums Stiftung 2005
• Stiftung Cerebral (Schweiz. Stiftung für das cerebral gelähmte Kind) 2005
• UBS Donation (by order of a client) interne Ausschreibung 2006
• Lego Schweiz - Kinderspital Forschungs-Fond 2007
• Vontobel Stiftung Zürich 2007
• Cramer Stiftung 2007
• Olga-Mayenfisch Stiftung Zürich 2008
• Stiftung Kinderhilfe Sternschnuppe 2008
• Anna Müller Grocholski Stiftung 2008
• UBS Donation (by order of a client) Ausschreibung Kispi 2008
• Stiftung Cerebral (Schweiz. Stiftung für das cerebral gelähmte Kind). 2008
• Forschungskredit UZH 2009
• Fondation Gaydoul 2009
• Stiftung Cerebral (Schweiz. Stiftung für das cerebral gelähmte Kind) 2009
• Mäxi-Stiftung 2009
• Hochspezialisierte Medizin (HSM) Kanton Zürich 2009
• Kiwanis Club 2010
• Schweizerische Stiftung für das cerebral gelähmte Kind 2010
• Fondation Gaydoul 2012

Memberships