Abstract
On a voluntary basis, 10 adolescents with hemiparesis due to cerebral palsy and 11 neurologically healthy control subjects participated in this proof-of-concept pilot study. The aim was to examine the effects of robot-assisted training for the unaffected arm in patients with hemiparetic cerebral palsy. Baseline comparison between the unaffected arm of the hemiparetic patients with cerebral palsy and the dominant arm of healthy control subjects showed significant differences on the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function test and action planning ability tests. Within-group comparison after ten 30-minute sessions (five days a week for two consecutive weeks) of robot-assisted training for the unaffected arm showed significant improvements in patients with cerebral palsy on the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function test (performed at both hands) and action planning ability test (evaluated at the unaffected arm). Our findings are in line with previous evidences of action planning deficits at the unaffected arm in patients with hemiparetic cerebral palsy and support the hypothesis that robot-assisted training for the unaffected arm may be useful to improve manual dexterity and action planning in patients with hemiparesis due to cerebral palsy.
Highlights
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common condition of all childhood disabilities, affecting about 2.0–3.5 live births out of 1000 in the United States [1]
Patients with hemiparetic CP may experience difficulty in executing movements at the affected arm, such as increased number of submovements, stereotyped shoulder-elbow recruitment order, and variability of hand trajectories, with movement patterns characterized by the application of inappropriately coordinated grip and lift forces [7, 8]
Current research suggests that motor impairments in patients with hemiparetic CP result from damage to the corticospinal tract, as well as from impairments of sensorimotor pathways and motor action planning [3]
Summary
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common condition of all childhood disabilities, affecting about 2.0–3.5 live births out of 1000 in the United States [1]. It encompasses a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental conditions that primarily present as disorders of movement and posture, often accompanied by epilepsy, secondary musculoskeletal problems, and impaired sensation and cognition [1, 2]. CP results from abnormal brain development and/or brain damage that is Behavioural Neurology nonprogressive and occurs during very early development [1,2,3]. Current research suggests that motor impairments in patients with hemiparetic CP result from damage to the corticospinal tract, as well as from impairments of sensorimotor pathways and motor action planning [3]
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