Therapeutic Dance Intervention for Children With Cerebral Palsy

Shlomit Aizik

Status

Completed

Conditions

Cerebral Palsy

Treatments

Other: Therapeutic Dance

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT03681171

20162682

Details and patient eligibility

About

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have motor impairments that may limit participation in standard physical activity (PA) programs. Adapted PA interventions may help address this gap. Dance-based interventions may support coordination, posture, muscle strength, motor learning, and executive function. This pilot study evaluates the feasibility and preliminary effects of a therapeutic ballet intervention designed for children with CP on physiological and executive function outcomes.

Full description

Eight children with cerebral palsy (CP), ages 9 to 14 years, participated in a six-week therapeutic ballet intervention. Participants underwent pre- and post-intervention assessments of body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), muscle strength by hand-grip dynamometry, habitual physical activity, gait, selective motor control, and executive function. Follow-up assessments of habitual physical activity, gait, and executive function were completed 4 to 5 weeks after the intervention.

Enrollment

9 patients

Sex

All

Ages

9 to 15 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Cerebral palsy spastic diplegia and/or hemiplegia
Absence of health problems that would preclude participation in exercise
Male or female age 9 - 15 years inclusive at the time of consent
Minimum level of intellectual functioning (e.g., as determined by an IQ score of 80 or above or other education placement and testing indicating sufficient understanding)
Ability to complete study measures at the assessment
Ability to participate in dance classes conducted in English
Interest in learning ballet
Intact vision
Intact hearing
Able to ambulate independently in the community with or without a device
Intact proprioception in lower extremities
Able to complete assessment measures and consents in English
Referral from the child's pediatrician or other physician indicating that the child is physically able to participate in an exercise intervention

Exclusion criteria

Children with a current diagnosis of severe Major Depressive Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Epilepsy
Autism
Other major medical conditions that prohibit full participation and children with severe developmental disorders (e.g., mental retardation, severe autism) or with physical impairments that prohibit full participation were excluded from the study.