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How do children and caregivers perceive their experience of undergoing the CIMT protocol?
Marisa C Mancini1, Marina B Brandão, Amanda Dupin
1Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy Department, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
Insights
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) and their families found constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) beneficial for hand function, despite challenges. They believed the improvements in arm use outweighed the difficulties of the intensive therapy and daily routine disruptions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Occupational Therapy
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is a recognized intervention for enhancing hand function in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- Key components of CIMT, such as unaffected arm restraint and intensive training, can pose challenges for children and disrupt family routines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and document the lived experiences and perceptions of children with CP and their caregivers undergoing the CIMT protocol.
- To understand the subjective impact of CIMT on children and their families.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative research methodology utilizing semi-structured interviews.
- Interviews were conducted with five children with CP and six caregivers.
- Content analysis was employed to identify emergent themes regarding CIMT implementation and outcomes.
Main Results:
- Children and caregivers acknowledged the positive effects of CIMT, including enhanced affected arm usage and reduced need for assistance.
- Participants perceived that the functional gains achieved through CIMT justified the experienced difficulties.
- The study identified key aspects of CIMT implementation and its impact on daily occupational performance.
Conclusions:
- CIMT is perceived as a valuable therapy for improving hand function in children with CP, with benefits often outweighing the challenges.
- Understanding child and caregiver perceptions is crucial for optimizing CIMT delivery and family integration.
- Further research can explore strategies to mitigate the difficulties associated with CIMT implementation.
Objective:
Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) is an effective intervention to improve hand function in children with cerebral palsy (CP). However, some of its features, including the restraining of the unaffected arm and the intensive training, may result in stressful experiences for children and interfere with family routine. This study aimed to document the perceptions of children with CP and their caregivers regarding the experience of undergoing the CIMT protocol.
Methods:
Qualitative data were collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with five children with CP and their caregivers (n = 6). Content analysis structured and summarized data into two emergent categories: (i) Perception of children and caregivers about CIMT implementation procedures; (ii) Occupational performance before and after the CIMT protocol. The interviews' content revealed that children and caregivers recognized the benefits of CIMT, including increased use of the affected arm and decreased need for assistance; they believed that these gains outweighed the difficulties they experienced in daily routine.
