MODEL-CP: Using artificial intelligence to develop better therapies for cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is one of the most common causes of physical disability in
children and affects approximately 2–3 out of every 1,000 newborns in Europe. It is caused by damage to the developing brain, leading to muscle weakness, spasticity, and coordination disorders. Typical consequences include an abnormal gait and incorrect weight distribution, which impair bone growth even in childhood. Many
sufferers therefore require complex surgery, which, however, only brings about a significant improvement in around 42% of cases.

The goal of Model-CP

With Model-CP, we want to better understand the complex relationships that determine the gait pattern of children with cerebral palsy. This should make it possible to predict which surgeries are actually promising. The goal is to significantly reduce the number of unnecessary procedures and improve care in the long term.

Our approach: combining methods

To achieve this goal, Model-CP combines various approaches that have mostly been used in isolation until now:

• Conventional motion analysis – established and clinically validated
• Musculoskeletal simulations – provide additional biomechanical insights
• Artificial intelligence – automatically recognizes patterns and enables more precise
predictions

The combination of these methods brings together the strengths of all disciplines and enables a more comprehensive picture of individual gait pathologies. This allows for personalized therapy recommendations and more reliable prognoses.

The team behind the project

The research project is supported by an interdisciplinary team led by Hans Kainz at the University of Vienna with the support of Djordje Slijepčević at the University of Applied Sciences in St. Pölten. Important cooperation partners are the Orthopedic Hospital Speising (Austria) and Gillette Children's Hospital (USA), which contribute significantly to the success of the project with large and high-quality data sets.

Better quality of life for children

The methods developed in Model-CP are intended to help doctors make tailored
therapy decisions in the future. This is giving rise to new and innovative methods that combine medicine, biomechanics, and artificial intelligence with a clear goal: a better quality of life for children with cerebral palsy.