DMD Gait Analysis study at UCLA

Carter had his first appointment for the DMD gait study at UCLA on Wednesday the 21st. It went well and it was very interesting to see all the high tech stuff that they used for the different assessments. They also think he's probably going to be on the milder end progression-wise. He does have tightness in his legs and fatigues easily, but was able to do all the gross motor tests they had him try (except hop on his left foot 10 times). We were happy to hear that he is still strong and doing well. :) We'll go every 6 months for the next 3 years and they will see how he progresses during that time.
We took a lot of pictures, figured they will explain things better than I can. In addition to the tests we did there he's also wearing a step activity monitor for the next week so they can see how active he is during the day at home.

Getting ready for the first test

"Luke, I am your father" lol

Energy Cost of Walking-
Individuals will be asked to rest for 10 minutes and then walk for 10 minutes while wearing a mask over their nose and mouth (see photo). This will allow for the analysis of the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide used during resting and walking.

Gross Motor Skill Testing-

Individuals will perform a set of gross motor skills that go from easy (rolling on the floor) to hard (walking up a flight of steps). Individuals will perform as many skills as they are able.

They told him to stand straight like a soldier. lol

Muscle Strength Testing-

Individuals will be asked to push or pull using their hip, knee and ankle muscles. The amount of muscle force produced will be measured by a machine.

Computerized Assessment of Walking-

Individuals will be asked to walk down a short walkway while wearing reflective markers. The marker information is hips, knees and ankles move during walking.

His hair is so long we had to pull it back to see the marker on his neck. lol

 My amazing boy!! =)

Here's a link to the trial listing:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00312247?recr=Open&cond=%22Duchenne+Muscular+Dystrophy%22&state1=NA%3AUS%3ACA&rank=1

And a flyer that explains in a little more detail:
http://www.cdmd.ucla.edu/_assets/DMD%20Brochure-UCLA.pdf