Feasibility of Action Observation Training [AOT] in Infants After Unilateral Brain Lesion

Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern

Status: Completed

Conditions: Perinatal Brain Injury

Treatments: Other: Action Observation Training [AOT]

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04194281

2019-02028

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study examines whether infants with a perinatal unilateral brain lesion can perform an "Action Observation Training" [AOT] at the age of 9-12 months . AOT is the targeted and concentrated observation of movements and actions to learn new motor skills. In adults with hemiplegia after a stroke and in older children with hemiplegia, AOT can lead to an improvement in the functions of the affected hand/arm. Infants with early unilateral brain damage are at increased risk of developing a hemiplegia and thus impaired upper limb function. There is little known about treatment options to promote arm and hand skills in early childhood and their effectiveness. In particular, there is a lack of knowledge whether AOT could also be used in infants. It is known that even in infants at an early age brain activity can be measured while they are observing movements and infants learn a lot about observing and imitating.

Knowledge about the measurement of manual skills is also reduced. So far, tests have been used to observe and evaluate how infants use their hands when playing (e.g. Mini-Assisting Hand Assessment). The aim of this study is to investigate whether measurements with motion sensors can also be used in infants.

In the pre-post study, about 5 to 10 toddlers will be examined. During four weeks, the parents should give the child 20 minutes of AOT per day at home. A therapy diary will be completed for this purpose. During six weeks, the parents will use movement sensors on two days a week for the upper limb of the infants. Finally, three questionnaires about the AOT and the motion sensors will be completed by the parents.

Enrollment: 8 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 9 to 12 months old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Premature and term-born infants aged 9-12 months
• Perinatal unilateral brain damage due to cerebral hemorrhage or stroke
• Informed consent to study participation by the parents or legal representative

Exclusion criteria

• Infants with impaired vision
• Other diagnoses than early childhood brain damage affecting the functions of the upper extremities (e.g. plexus palsy)
• Infants who participate in other studies of upper extremity interventions
• Parents do not understand the study and the intervention due to foreign language skills

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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8 participants in 1 patient group

Action Observation Therapy [AOT]

Experimental group

Treatment:

Other: Action Observation Training [AOT]