Single-case Design Studies in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Rehabilitation
• Neurology
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Cerebral palsy (CP) affects children and adolescents, necessitating effective interventions.
• Single-case designs (SCDs) are utilized to evaluate interventions in this population.
• Critical evaluation of existing SCD studies is needed to assess evidence quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate single-case design (SCD) studies involving children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP).
• To assess the methodological quality and reporting standards of SCD research in CP.
• To identify strengths, limitations, and areas for improvement in SCD studies for CP.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a scoping review of SCD studies focusing on pediatric CP populations.
• Extracted demographic, methodological, and statistical data from selected studies.
• Evaluated study quality using the Risk of Bias in N-of-1 Trials (RoBiNT) Scale and CENT 2015 criteria.

Main Results:

• A broad range of interventions and outcomes were investigated across various SCD types.
• Studies predominantly used visual inspection for data analysis, with limited statistical approaches.
• High risk of bias, particularly in internal validity, and insufficient reporting of CONSORT extension for N-of-1 trials (CENT) items were prevalent.

Conclusions:

• The current quality of evidence from SCD studies in pediatric CP requires enhancement.
• Reducing risk of bias and improving adherence to reporting guidelines are essential.
• Further research should focus on strengthening the methodological rigor of SCDs in CP.