Constraint-induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) and Bimanual Training (HABIT) in Children With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

Teachers College, Columbia University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cerebral Palsy; Children; Hemiplegia; Pediatric

Treatments: Procedure: Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy (HABIT); Procedure: Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00305006

08126

Details and patient eligibility

About

A randomized control trial of bimanual training. The protocols have been developed at Columbia University to be child friendly and draws upon our experience since 1997 with constraint-induced movement therapy in children with cerebral palsy.

Full description

A new treatment involving bimanual (Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy (HABIT). The protocols have been developed at Columbia University to be child friendly and draws upon our experience since 1998 with constraint-induced movement therapy in children with cerebral palsy. The interventions are performed in a 15 day day-camp setting with several children and at least one therapist per child. We have conducted 24 day camps to date since 2002, and are now collaborating with clinicians worldwide to expand our treatment availability. The aim is to promote the use of and improve the coordination of movement of both hands together. PARTICIPATION IS FREE. Please check out our website for more information: http://www.tc.edu/centers/cit/.

Enrollment: 42 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 30 months to 14 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

willingness to agree to intervention and testing procedures and travel to the University for participation and testing.

Exclusion criteria

• health problems not associated with CP
• uncontrollable seizures
• visual problems that would interfere with carrying out the intervention or testing
• botulinum toxin therapy in the upper extremity musculature during the last six months or who wish to receive it within the period of study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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42 participants in 2 patient groups

CIMT Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm were provided with 90 minutes of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT), which requires hand restraint and progression of unimanual tasks.

Treatment:

Procedure: Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT)

HABIT Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm were provided with 90 minutes of Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy (HABIT), which requires that tasks are progressed bimanually.

Treatment:

Procedure: Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy (HABIT)