Somatosensory Discrimination Intervention Improves Body Position Sense and Motor Performance in Children With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

McLean, Belinda; Taylor, Susan; Blair, Eve; Valentine, Jane; Carey, Leeanne; Elliott, Catherine

doi:10.26181/25271407.v1

Somatosensory Discrimination Intervention Improves Body Position Sense and Motor Performance in Children With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

journal contribution

posted on 2024-02-26, 01:24 authored by Belinda McLean, Susan Taylor, Eve Blair, Jane Valentine, Leeanne CareyLeeanne Carey, Catherine Elliott

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the use of the adult neuroscience-based Sense© intervention with children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP) to improve upper-limb somatosensory discrimination, motor function, and goal performance. METHOD: Seventeen children with HCP (9 boys, 8 girls; mean age = 10.2 yr) participated in this pilot matched-pairs trial with random allocation and 6-mo follow-up (intervention, n = 7; control, n = 10). The intervention group received Sense training 3×/wk for 6 wk (18 hr). Outcome measures included Goal Attainment Scaling, Sense-assess© Kids, and the Assisting Hand Assessment. RESULTS: The intervention group improved in goal performance, proprioception, and bimanual hand use and maintained improvement at 6-mo follow-up. The control group improved in occupational performance by 6-mo follow-up. CONCLUSION: This study established the feasibility of using the Sense intervention in a pediatric setting and adds preliminary evidence to suggest that improving somatosensory function can improve motor function and goal performance among children with HCP.

Funding

The authors thank the participants for their time, the Department of Paediatric Rehabilitation at Princess Margaret Hospital for access to the assessment and intervention equipment, and Dr. Richard Parsons for his guidance in preparing the manuscript of this article. The authors also acknowledge support from the Telethon New Children's Hospital Research Fund, Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation and Australian Postgraduate Awards (to Belinda McLean and Susan Taylor), and National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant 1022694 and James S. McDonnell Foundation Collaborative Award (220020413; to Leeanne Carey). This trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry at https://www. anzctr.org.au (ACTRN12614000314628).

History

Publication Date

2017-01-01

Journal

American Journal of Occupational Therapy

Volume

71

Issue

3

Article Number

7103190060

Pagination

9p. (p. 1-9)

Publisher

American Occupational Therapy Association

ISSN

0272-9490

Rights Statement

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