Effects of Virtual Reality Versus Motor Imagery in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Riphah International University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cerebral Palsy

Treatments: Other: Virtual Reality+ Routine Physical Therapy; Other: Routine Physical Therapy+ Balance Training; Other: Motor Imagery+ Routine Physical Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06303440

REC/RCR&AHS/23/0288

Details and patient eligibility

About

Cerebral palsy is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by brain injury that appears in infancy, children have mostly issues of gross motor functions, and activities of daily living. Virtual Reality is an innovative technique for the improvement of balance and motor function in most of the neurological conditions. Motor Imagery is an ability to engage in the mental representation of a task consciously without generating a voluntary movement. The aim of this study is to determine the comparative effects of Virtual Reality and Motor Imagery on balance, gross motor function and activities of daily living in children with cerebral palsy.

Full description

This randomized controlled trial will be conducted at Rising Sun Institute. The sample size calculated for this trial will be 75. The participants will be randomly allocated using online randomization tool into three groups; Group A will receive routine physical therapy (PT) for 30 minutes with additional selected exercises for 15 minutes, Group B will receive VR training for 15 minutes with routine PT for 30 minutes, and Group C will receive MI for 15 minutes and routine PT for 30 minutes. Each participant will receive treatment for three days on alternative days per week for 12 weeks. Gross Motor Function Scale (GMFCS) will be used for balance, Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of motor function Proficiency-2 (BOT-2 ) for motor function, and WeeFIM scale for ADLs at baseline, 8th week, 12th week, and at 16th week after discontinuation of treatment.

Enrollment: 63 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 7 to 12 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Children of 7-12 years of both genders, Children with Mini Mental Scale score >24.

Children with Gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) level I and II and able to follow and accept verbal instruction.

Exclusion Criteria: History of any Visual and Hearing Impairments, Virtual game phobia.

History of nerve, muscle, bone and joint diseases that seriously affect the movement function of the limbs and Children with history of severe cardiopulmonary disease, History of epilepsy, History of Fixed deformity of Lower limb. History of orthopaedic surgery and botulinum toxin injection.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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63 participants in 3 patient groups

Group A (Routine Physical Therapy+ Balance Training)

Other group

Description:

The children will be provided with Routine Physical Therapy and Balance Training. Balance exercises will be provided for 15 minutes and 30 minutes of Routine physical therapy will be as strengthening and stretching exercises.

Treatment:

Other: Routine Physical Therapy+ Balance Training

Group B (Virtual Reality + Routine Physical Therapy)

Experimental group

Description:

The VR system consisted of a wall-mounted display, a Nintendo Wii box, a Wii remote, and a Wii Fit board. The participants will be instructed to stand on Wii Fit board while interacting with the VR system and playing the selected games and routine physical therapy of 30 minutes will be provided.

Treatment:

Other: Virtual Reality+ Routine Physical Therapy

Group C (Motor Imagery+ Routine Physical Therapy)

Experimental group

Description:

During the presentation of a video clip, patients will watch the video and afterwards try to do movement as same as shown in video

Treatment:

Other: Motor Imagery+ Routine Physical Therapy