The Effect of Bimanual Intensive Functional Training on Somatosensory Hand Function in Children with Unilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy: An Observational Study

(1) Background: Next to motor impairments, children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (CP) often experience sensory impairments. Intensive bimanual training is well known for improving motor abilities, though its effect on sensory impairments is less known. (2) Objective: To investigate whether...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical medicine 2023-02, Vol.12 (4), p.1595
Main Authors: Steinbusch, Catherine V M, Defesche, Anke, van der Leij, Bertie, Rameckers, Eugene A A, Knijnenburg, Annemarie C S, Vermeulen, Jeroen R J, Janssen-Potten, Yvonne J M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Care and treatment
Cerebral palsy
Children
Classification
Clinical medicine
Complications and side effects
Hands
Health aspects
Intervention
Objectives
Observational studies
Participation
Pediatrics
Prevention
Rehabilitation
Risk factors
Sensory integration disorder
Skills
Spasticity
Task analysis
Teenagers
Therapists
Therapy
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Summary:(1) Background: Next to motor impairments, children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (CP) often experience sensory impairments. Intensive bimanual training is well known for improving motor abilities, though its effect on sensory impairments is less known. (2) Objective: To investigate whether bimanual intensive functional therapy without using enriched sensory materials improves somatosensory hand function. (3) Methods: A total of twenty-four participants with CP (12-17 years of age) received 80-90 h of intensive functional training aimed at improving bimanual performance in daily life. Somatosensory hand function was measured before training, directly after training, and at six months follow-up. Outcome measures were: proprioception, measured by thumb and wrist position tasks and thumb localization tasks; vibration sensation; tactile perception; and stereognosis. (4) Results: Next to improving on their individual treatment goals, after training, participants also showed significant improvements in the perception of thumb and wrist position, vibration sensation, tactile perception, and stereognosis of the more affected hand. Improvements were retained at six months follow-up. Conversely, proprioception measured by the thumb localization tasks did not improve after training. (5) Conclusions: Intensive functional bimanual training without environmental tactile enrichment may improve the somatosensory function of the more affected hand in children with unilateral spastic CP.
ISSN:2077-0383
2077-0383
DOI:10.3390/jcm12041595