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Published on: August 9, 2024
Preliminary Changes in Head Control and Segmental Trunk Control Following an Eight-Week Core Strengthening Program in
Afnan M Alkhateeb1, Shehab M Abd El-Kader1,2, Alanoud K Alsulami1
1Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22252, Saudi Arabia.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
A core strengthening program significantly improved head and trunk control in children with severe cerebral palsy (bilateral spastic cerebral palsy, GMFCS IV-V). These findings suggest feasibility for enhancing motor function in children with profound motor deficits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Motor Control Research
Background:
- Children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy (BSCP) at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels IV and V experience severe deficits in head and trunk control.
- These deficits significantly impact functional independence, safe feeding, and increase caregiver burden.
- Targeted interventions are needed to address these profound motor impairments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate within-subject changes in head and segmental trunk control.
- To assess the impact of an 8-week therapist-supervised core muscle strengthening program.
- To investigate these changes in children with BSCP classified at GMFCS levels IV and V.
Main Methods:
- A single-arm, quasi-experimental study design with 36 children (aged 4-10 years) with BSCP (GMFCS IV-V).
- Participants underwent a 24-session, manualized core strengthening program over 8 weeks.
- Assessments included the Head Control Scale (HCS) and Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control (SATCo) at baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant improvements were observed across all outcome measures (HCS, SATCo Static, Active, Total) (Friedman p < 0.001).
- All pairwise interval comparisons demonstrated significance post-Bonferroni adjustment.
- Pre-to-post intervention changes exhibited large to very large effect sizes, corroborated by repeated-measures ANOVA.
Conclusions:
- The core strengthening program appears feasible and is associated with significant within-subject improvements in head and trunk control for children with severe BSCP (GMFCS IV-V).
- Preliminary findings support the program's potential for enhancing motor function at the body-functions level.
- Further controlled trials with follow-up are necessary to establish efficacy and determine translation to activity and participation.
