Virtual Reality in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cerebral Palsy

Treatments: Other: Conventional therapy; Other: Device: Kinect-Xbox 360TM

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02500433

VR CHILDREN 2015

Details and patient eligibility

About

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether VR videogames plus conventional therapy improves motor control compared with conventional therapy in children with cerebral palsy (CP).

METHODS: Thirty participants with CP were included. A baseline (A0), a post-conventional intervention (A1), a post-experimental treatment (A2) and a two-month follow-up (A3) assessment were performed. Experimental intervention was based on videogames treatment (Kinect-Kbox360TM) added to their conventional physiotherapy. Motor and the process skills were evaluated by the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS); balance by the Pediatric Reach test (PRT); gait speed by the 10-meters walk test (10MW); and running and jumping capacity by the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM).

Full description

Thirty participants were recruited, seventeen were boys and thirteen were girls, with a mean age of 8.41 years (SD 2.55).

The inclusion and exclusion criteria Children were recruited from Public Schools of Madrid (Spain) and they were classified according to their Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level.

The inclusion criteria were a diagnostic of mild-moderate hemiplegic and diplegic CP, age between four to eleven years and receive physiotherapy treatment in the public school related with this project. The exclusion criteria were not have visual impairments, severe cognitive disability, surgical intervention in the year before study onset, botulinum injections in the six months before study onset and non-controlled epilepsy. Six participants were classified as GMFCS level I and twenty-four was level II, all with spastic involvement.

All were receiving physiotherapy at the time of enrollment by the same therapist. All children were enrolled in age-appropriate classes in regular public schools; 100% did receive some extra help for mild learning issues.

Statistical Analyses:

We used a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess differences among the four assessments in each of the variables, using paired t-test with Bonferroni correction when a significant effect was detected. We performed all the analysis by The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 19.0 Version).The statistical analysis was conducted at a 95% confidence level. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 4 to 11 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnostic of mild-moderate hemiplegic.
• Diplegic cerebral palsy.
• Age between four to eleven years.
• Receive physiotherapy treatment in the public.
• School related with this project

Exclusion criteria

• Not Have Visual Impairments.
• Severe Cognitive Disability.
• Surgical Intervention In The Year Before Study Onset.
• Botulinum Injections In The Six Months Before Study Onset.
• Non-Controlled Epilepsy.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

Device: Kinect-Xbox360TM

Experimental group

Description:

Based around a webcam-style add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360 console, it enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a game controller, through a natural user interface using gestures and spoken commands. Participants were asked to practice 30 minutes per day, 2 days per week for 2 months, added to their conventional treatment. The games used were Kinect Sports ITM, Kinect Joy RideTM and Kinect Disneyland AdventuresTM and involved balance and trunk movements, general and visual-manual coordination and limb tasks. Each subject followed instructions on the screen with the help of his physiotherapist, with points awarded based on degree and speed of movement and level of difficulty. Participants were initially exposed to the games in an hour introductory session, 2 weeks before the study began. All the sessions were supervised by physiotherapist.

Treatment:

Other: Device: Kinect-Xbox 360TM

Conventional therapy

Other group

Description:

Conventional therapy was based on neurodevelopment treatment, psychomotor activities and kinesiotherapy during one month, twice per week, with 30 minutes per session. The treatment includes: active and passive kinesitherapy, muscle and tendons stretching, training of gait and deambulation, such as coordination and handling.

Treatment:

Other: Conventional therapy