Effectiveness of Unilateral Versus Bilateral Intensive Training in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Effectiveness of Unilateral Versus Bilateral Intensive Training in Children With Cerebral Palsy

This 3-year research project aims to investigate and compare the immediate and long-term treatment effectiveness as well as motor improving curve and potential predictors of the unimanual intensive training and bimanual intensive training protocols with an equivalent intervention period in children with hemiplegic CP and children with CP with apparently one side affected. In addition, based on the ICF-CY model, comprehensive outcome measures including motor functions as well as psychological functions will be included.

The inclusion criteria of this study are:

1. aged between 3 and 16 years
2. diagnosed with congenital hemiplegic or children with CP with one more affected side; (3) apparently disuse phenomenon of the more affected hand at spontaneous contexts

Participants will be exclude for:

1. excessive muscle tone (Modified Ashworth Scale ≤ 2 at any joints of the upper limb) before beginning treatment (Bohannon & Smith, 1987)
2. severe cognitive, visual, or auditory disorders according to medical documents, parental reports, and the examiner's clinical observation
3. injections of botulinum toxin type A or operations on the UE within 6 months