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Published on: September 18, 2017
[Effects of virtual reality training on limb movement in children with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy]
Kai Ren1, Xiao-Ming Gong, Rong Zhang
1Department of Rehabilitation, Sichuan Vocational College of Health and Rehabilitation, Zigong, Sichuan 643000, China. fensal@163.com.
Insights
Virtual reality (VR) training significantly improved gross and fine motor skills in children with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy compared to conventional therapy. This VR approach offers a promising rehabilitation strategy.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Pediatric Physical Therapy
Background:
- Spastic diplegia cerebral palsy (CP) is a common condition affecting motor function in children.
- Developing effective interventions to improve motor skills in children with CP is crucial for their development and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) training on gross motor function of the lower limb and fine motor function of the upper limb in children with spastic diplegia CP.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 35 children with spastic diplegia CP.
- Participants were assigned to either a VR training group or a conventional physical and occupational therapy group for three months.
- Motor function was assessed using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (fine motor) and the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88), Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) (gross motor).
Main Results:
- No significant baseline differences were observed between the VR and conventional training groups.
- The VR training group demonstrated significant improvements in grip, visual-motor integration, GMFM-88 scores (Domains D and E), MAS, and BBS compared to the conventional group post-intervention.
Conclusions:
- Virtual reality training is an effective intervention for enhancing both gross and fine motor functions in children with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy.
- VR training presents a viable alternative or adjunct to traditional therapies for pediatric CP rehabilitation.
Objective:
To study the effects of virtual reality (VR) training on the gross motor function of the lower limb and the fine motor function of the upper limb in children with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy.
Methods:
Thirty-five children with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy were randomly assigned to VR training group (n=19) and conventional training group (n=16). The conventional training group received conventional physical therapy and occupational therapy for three months. The VR training group received VR training and occupational therapy for three months. Grip and visual-motor integration subtests in Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 were used to evaluate the fine movement in patients before and after treatment. The D and E domains of the 88-item version of the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88), Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were used to evaluate the gross movement in patients before and after treatment.
Results:
Before treatment, there were no significant differences in grip, visual-motor integration, fine motor development quotient, scores of D and E domains of GMFM-88, MAS score, or BBS score between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment, all the indices were significantly improved in the VR training group compared with the conventional training group (P<0.05).
Conclusions:
VR training can effectively improve the gross motor function of the lower limb and the fine motor function of the upper limb in children with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy.
