Combined Constraint Therapy and Bimanual Therapy for Children With Unilateral Brain Injury

Blythedale Children's Hospital

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Cerebral Palsy; Hemiplegia

Treatments: Behavioral: Constraint therapy; Behavioral: Bimanual hand therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02840643

CIMT-HABIT

Details and patient eligibility

About

To examine efficacy of combined unimanual and bimanual intensive therapy in children with unilateral brain injury. A key question in hemiplegia therapy is whether the affected hand should be trained alone or in tandem with the other hand. In constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), a participant's less-affected upper extremity is restricted with a sling, cast, or mitt, while the participant actively uses the affected arm and hand in skill-based therapeutic activities. Bimanual therapy, in contrast, engages both hands in therapeutic movement. Since constraint and bimanual therapy target different aspects of hand use, they could have synergistic effects on hand function when given in combination.

Full description

Children with hemiplegia will be given an intensive hand therapy protocol for six weeks (6 hrs/day, 5 days/week - total of 180 hours. Therapy will be given in two blocks.

In one block (3 weeks, 90 hours of therapy), children will receive constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), also known as constraint therapy. During CIMT, children wear a mitt over their less-affected hand, which restricts use of that hand. Children engage in intensive therapy to improve active range of motion, strength, motor control and sensory awareness of the affected hand. Activities are functional and play based. Daily structure of therapy includes: morning gym, fine motor, gross motor, sensory motor, therapeutic feeding, sports and self care activities. During training, children perform play-based and functional activities with the affected hand. Example activities include playing card and board games, arts and crafts, and activities that provide sensory stimulation to the affected hand, such as finger painting. Activities also include stretching and strengthening exercises.

In one block (3 weeks, 90 hours of therapy), children will receive bimanual therapy. During bimanual therapy, children do not wear a mitt over the less-affected hand. Children will be provided individualized activities that facilitated active use of both hands. Therapists will adapt and grade activities and guided children to problem solve for success. Bimanual activities include self-care (tying shoes, zippering, cutting food), sports activities, and manipulation of classroom tools (cutting with scissors).

Before the intervention begins, children will be randomized to one of two arms. In Arm 1, children will receive 3 weeks of CIMT followed by 3 weeks of bimanual therapy. In Arm 2, children will receive 3 weeks of bimanual therapy followed by 3 weeks of CIMT.

Enrollment: 75 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 4 to 17 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of hemiplegia.
• Wrist range of motion of at least 10 degrees.
• Able to follow directions.
• Experience attending day programs without the child's home caregiver present (i.e. school, daycare).

Exclusion criteria

• Uncorrected vision problems.
• Inability to communicate or follow directions.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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75 participants in 2 patient groups

Constraint Therapy and Bimanual Therapy

Experimental group

Description:

Children in this arm will receive 90 hours (6 hrs/day, 5 days/week, 3 weeks) of Intensive Hand Therapy (constraint therapy), followed by 90 hours (6 hrs/day, 5 days/week, 3 weeks) of Intensive Bimanual Hand Therapy (bimanual therapy). During constraint therapy, children will wear a mitt over their less-impaired hand and actively use their more-impaired hand in therapy. Therapy will involve playing games, practicing activities of daily living, doing arts and crafts, and practicing repetitive hand movements. During bimanual therapy, children will actively use both hand in therapy. Therapy will involve playing games, practicing activities of daily living, doing arts and crafts, and practicing repetitive hand movements.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Constraint therapy

Behavioral: Bimanual hand therapy

Bimanual Therapy and Constraint Therapy

Experimental group

Description:

Children in this arm will receive 90 hours (6 hrs/day, 5 days/week, 3 weeks) of Intensive Bimanual Hand Therapy (bimanual therapy), followed by 90 hours (6 hrs/day, 5 days/week, 3 weeks) of Intensive Hand Therapy (constraint therapy). During bimanual therapy, children will actively use both hand in therapy. Therapy will involve playing games, practicing activities of daily living, doing arts and crafts, and practicing repetitive hand movements. During constraint therapy, children will wear a mitt over their less-impaired hand and actively use their more-impaired hand in therapy. Therapy will involve playing games, practicing activities of daily living, doing arts and crafts, and practicing repetitive hand movements.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Constraint therapy

Behavioral: Bimanual hand therapy