Maze Balance Board Training Effects on Mobility and Motor Skills in Cognitively Impaired Children

Effects of Maze Balance Board Training on Functional Mobility and Gross Motor Skills in Children With Cognitive Impairment

The study will be a Randomized Controlled Trial including 22 children aged 6-10 years with deficits in functional mobility and gross motor skills. Participants will be randomly divided into an experimental group (n=11), receiving a seven-stage progressive Maze Balance Board protocol, and a control group (n=11), receiving conventional physical therapy. Both groups will undergo 30-minute sessions, three times per week, for 8 weeks. Eligible participants will be enrolled after guardian consent. Outcomes will be assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for cognition, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test for functional mobility, and Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2) for gross motor skills. Ethical approval will be obtained from Riphah International University, Lahore, and data will be analyzed using SPSS version 27.0.

Difficulties with Functional Mobility, Gross and fine motor skills are common in children with Cognitive Impairment, significantly impacting their ability to perform everyday activities and acquire new motor skills. These difficulties often arise from impaired integration of sensory information and deficits in motor planning, resulting in poor functional mobility and increased risk of instability. As a result, affected children may struggle with maintaining upright positions, transitioning between movements, and executing coordinated actions, all of which are essential for functional mobility and participation in age-appropriate activities. To address these concerns, this study will assess the effects of Maze Balance Board Training on Functional Mobility and Gross Motor Skills in Children with Cognitive Impairment.

The study design will be a Randomized Controlled Trial. The study will recruit 22 children aged 6-10 years with identified deficits in Functional Mobility and Gross motor skills.

Participants will be randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=11) which will follow a seven-stage progressive Maze Balance board protocol, and a control group (n=11) receiving standard Conventional physical therapy exercises. These interventions will be performed for 30 mins, thrice a week over 8 weeks. All the referred participants will be assessed on the basis of eligibility criteria. Guardians of participants fulfilling the eligibility criteria will be asked to sign the consent forms before entering them to study. This study will utilize three standardized assessment tools to objectively measure Cognition level, Functional Mobility and gross motor skills in children with Cognitive Impairment: Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to measure cognition, Time Up and Go (TUG) Test for the functional mobility, While the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2) for Gross Motor Skills. The synopsis will be presented to the Research Ethical Committee of Riphah International University, Lahore, for ethical approval to conduct this study. Data will be analyzed through SPSS version 27.0.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children aged 6-10 years
• Mild to Moderate Cognitive Impairment (MoCA score =18 to 25)
• Gross motor skill delay (10).
• Ability to follow verbal instructions
• Parents are willing to make sure their child's participation

Exclusion Criteria:

• Use of medications that may influence neuromotor functions (e.g., sedatives, antiepileptic's)
• Children with visual and hearing impairments
• Receiving concurrent therapies
• Recent lower limb injuries , surgeries, or musculoskeletal conditions