NCT04147468

Functional Strength Training and Virtual Reality in Children With CP

Effectiveness of Functional Strength Training and Virtual Reality Games on Improving Arm Function in Children With Cerebral Palsy

• Status: Suspended
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 10 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Georgia State University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 6 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Virtual reality (VR) has shown to be effective to improve arm function in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Recently, functional strength training (FST) starts to show to improve arm function in patients with stroke but has not been extensively explored in children with CP. This pilot study is to examine the effect of FST and VR on improving arm function in children with CP as well as the neuroplasticity changes in the brain related to the level of improvement. Ten children with spastic CP will be recruited to participate in this pilot study. Children will be randomized to receive either VR of FST for 60 minutes per session x 3 sessions per week x 6 weeks at their home. All children will be evaluated prior to and immediately after the intervention at their home for clinical tests and at CABI for the MRI measures. Brain imaging data and clinical outcome measures including reaching kinematics, standardized fine motor assessment tool (Peabody Developmental Motor Scale-2nd edition), and daily use of affected hand (using Revised Pediatric Motor Activity Log) will be evaluated. A physical therapist who is blinded to the status will conduct the assessment. The investigators anticipate children in both groups will improve their arm function after intervention; however, children in the VR group will have a better improvement as compared with children in the FST group.

Conditions

• Cerebral Palsy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Virtual Reality	For the VR intervention, we focus on using our developed VR gaming platform called Super Pop VR, a VR system that can be individualized to the movement capabilities of the participant. The research team will travel to the family to conduct the intervention to ensure the treatment adherence. The participants will be asked to move their arms to 'pop' as many virtual objects as possible.
OTHER	Functional Strength Training	For the functional strength training, participants will receive repetitive progressive resistance exercise during goal-directed functional activity with the participants focus on the activity being performed. The research team will also go to the family to conduct the FST intervention.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-08-16
• Primary completion: 2025-10-01
• Completion: 2025-12-01
• First posted: 2019-11-01
• Last updated: 2023-03-13

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States