No abstract

These findings suggest that SM may, in the short term, help to reduce spasticity in participants with CP. Long-term effects of SM on muscle spasticity have yet to be studied.

PURPOSE: To assess the changes in balance function in children with cerebral palsy (CP) after two weeks of daily training with personalized balance games. METHODS: Twenty-five children with CP, aged 5 to 18 years were randomly selected for experimental or control groups. Over a period of two weeks, all participants received 8–9 game sessions for 15–20 minutes, totaling 150–160 minutes. The experimental group used personalized balance games available from the GAmification for Better LifE (GABLE) online serious gaming platform. Children from the control group played Nintendo Wii games using a handheld Wii Remote. Both groups received the same background treatment. Recorded outcome measures were from a Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS), Timed Up & Go Test (TUG), Center of Pressure Path Length (COP-PL), and Dynamic Balance Test (DBT). RESULTS: After two weeks of training in the experimental group TCMS scores increased by 4.5 points (SD = 3.5, p< 0.05) and DBT results increased by 0.88 points (IQR = 1.03, p< 0.05) while these scores did not change significantly in the control group. Overall, TUG and COP-PL scores were not affected in either group. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates improvement of balancing function in children with CP after a two-week course of training with personalized rehabilitation computer games.

No abstract

Background Recent research indicates that intensive rehabilitation tends to be effective for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Intensive Neurophysiological Rehabilitation System (INRS) is a multi-component approach that combines various interventions and addresses different functional goals.. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the INRS treatment in children with bilateral CP. Methods In this quasi-randomized controlled study, 48 children with spastic bilateral CP (age 5–12 years, GMFCS Levels I-IV, MACS Levels I-IV) were assigned to an experimental or control group in order they have been enrolled. The experimental group underwent INRS treatment in the tertiary care facility for about four hours daily for ten days and continued routine home treatment for four weeks. After the first evaluation, participants from the control group stayed on the waiting list for four weeks receiving home treatment and then starting the INRS treatment. Thereby, all participants were assessed three times. The primary outcome measure was a Gross Motor Function Measure 66 Item Set (GMFM). The secondary outcome measures included the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function test, Box and Blocks test, ABILHAND-Kids Questionnaire, Self-care and Mobility domain of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory, and the ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion. Results There was a statistically significant increase in the GMFM score after the INRS treatment in both the experimental group (mean difference (MD) 2.0, P < 0.01) and control group (MD 1.5, P < 0.05), with a large size effect (partial eta squared (η2) = 0.21 and η2 = 0.14). The mean difference between groups during the first study period was 2.89 points (p < 0.01) in the GMFM score with a medium effect size (η2 = 0.12). Statistically significant superiority of the INRS treatment over home treatment was also obtained by Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test and the Box and Blocks Test in both dominant and non-dominant hands. Conclusions The study indicates that the INRS treatment can be beneficial for improving both gross motor functions and hand function in children with bilateral CP. Further longitudinal studies are required to evaluate the effects of the INRS treatment on the participation level of children with CP. Trial registration The study protocol was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier: NCT04093180 on 17/09/2019.