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The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal frequency and intensity of physical therapy for children with cerebral palsy aged 6 to 24 months of age. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: daily, intermediate, or weekly physical therapy. Short and long term effects will be evaluated to determine the best 'dose' of rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy, including frequency (number of sessions per week and the number of weeks), intensity (how hard the patient works), and time (how many total hours) of rehabilitation treatment.
Determining optimal frequency of treatment for young children with cerebral palsy (CP) has implications for shaping the future of pediatric rehabilitation. There are wide variations in the number of hours per week of treatment in current outpatient rehabilitation programs for children with CP, suggesting clinical uncertainty. Usual weekly therapy at 1 - 2 hours per week for 6 months or longer is the most commonly implemented frequency of dose for children with CP 6 - 24 months of age. However, this decision about frequency is often made based on clinical reasoning and scheduling, not on principles of rehabilitation, child development, or evidence from strongly designed randomized controlled trials. The proposed study will fill this gap by directly comparing the effects of 3 frequency levels of therapy - concentrated daily, intermediate, and usual weekly in children with CP 6 - 24 months of age at the initiation of treatment and following these patients for 2 years.
In this prospective longitudinal study, children with Cerebral Palsy (n=75), 6 - 24 months of age, will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: daily, intermediate, or weekly physical therapy. The treatment phase of this study design is 5 months for a total of 40 hours of one-on-one therapy for both groups. Level 1 daily therapy is 2 hours of therapy per day for 20 straight weekdays. Level 2 intermediate therapy is 2 hours of therapy per day 3 days per week for 6.6 weeks. Level 3 usual weekly therapy is 2 hours of therapy one day per week for 20 weeks. Researchers will directly compare the effects of 3 these frequency levels of therapy at the initiation of treatment and following these patients for 2 years. Results will provide quantitative evidence of frequency-response, which is critical for informing clinical decision-making, health policy, and guidelines for reimbursement.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency Level 1 - Daily Therapy | Other | Level 1 daily physical therapy is 2 hours of one-on-one physical therapy per day for 20 straight weekdays |
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| Frequency Level 2 - Intermediate Therapy | Other | Level 2 intermediate physical therapy is 2 hours of therapy per day 3 days per week for 6.6 weeks |
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| Frequency Level 3 - Usual Therapy | Other | Level 3 usual weekly physical therapy is 2 hours of therapy one day per week for 20 weeks. |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapy | Other | One-on-one physical therapy sessions (one therapist and one patient). Principles of motor learning used include repetition, task-specificity, active practice, generalization of skills, errors, structured practice, and developmentally appropriate feedback with sufficient time to practice. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)-88 | GMFM evaluates change in gross motor function over time or with intervention in children with CP from 5 months to 16 years. It has been used widely in the field to determine functional motor change following intervention. | Baseline (pre-treatment) and 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months after initiation of treatment |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) | GAS creates patient, family, and clinical anchors as the external criterion for improvement by establishing activity or participation goals that reflect what an individual, family, and clinician consider meaningful or relevant.The GAS method allows for goals to be defined at different levels of mastery and assigned numerical values for score calculation, similar to a Likert scale. The scale will have 5 points representing different levels of mastery of the individual patient's goal. A score of -2 represents baseline, -1 less change than expected, 0 for the expected level of change, and +1 and +2 for achievement of more change than expected. To attempt to ensure ordinality, each level on the scale will be described and will reflect a single dimension of change that is measureable, achievable, and relevant |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Jill Heathcock, MPT, PhD | Ohio State University | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide Children's Hospital | Columbus | Ohio | 43205 | United States |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34086623 | Derived | Scott K, Lewis J, Pan X, Heathcock J. Parent-Reported PEDI-CAT Mobility and Gross Motor Function in Infants With Cerebral Palsy. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2021 Jul 1;33(3):156-161. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000801. | |
| 30865149 | Derived | Ferrante R, Hendershot S, Baranet K, Barbosa G, Carey H, Maitre N, Lo W, Pan J, Heathcock J. Daily and Weekly Rehabilitation Delivery for Young Children With Gross Motor Delay: A Randomized Clinical Trial Protocol (the DRIVE Study). Pediatr Phys Ther. 2019 Apr;31(2):217-224. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000594. |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D026741 | Physical Therapy Modalities |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D013812 | Therapeutics |
| D012046 | Rehabilitation |
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| Baseline (pre-treatment) and 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months after initiation of treatment |
| Change in Bayley Scales of Infant Development III | The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition is an individually administered test designed to assess developmental functioning of infants and toddlers. The Bayley-III assesses development in five areas: cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior. | Baseline (pre-treatment) and 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months after initiation of treatment |
| Change in Pediatric Evaluation and Disability Inventory (PEDI) | Administered as a parent survey. The PEDI is a descriptive measure of a child's current functional performance and can track changes over time. The PEDI measures both capability and performance of functional activities in three content domains: self-care, mobility, and social function.It can be used as a comprehensive clinical assessment of key functional capabilities and performance in children between the ages of six months and seven years. | Baseline (pre-treatment) and 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months after initiation of treatment |