Studies comparing the efficacy of constraint-induced movement therapy and bimanual training in children with unilateral cerebral palsy: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: To review studies comparing the efficacy of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) and bimanual training (BIT) in improving the hemiplegic arm functioning and overall functional performance for children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods: Systematic searches of electronic databases, reference lists and journals identified seven studies that met pre-determined inclusion criteria. These studies were analysed in terms of participants, treatment activities and regime, outcome measures and results of intervention.

Results: Both CIMT and BIT produced similar improvements in the bimanual and unimanual capacities of the affected arm and overall functional performance.

Conclusions: CIMT yields more improvements in the unimanual capacity of the impaired arm compared with BIT. A potential benefit of BIT is that participants may see more improvement in both bimanual performance and self-determined overall life goals. A combination of CIMT and BIT could be an option on improving arm function for children with unilateral CP in future.

• Unilateral cerebral palsy
• arm function
• constraint-induced movement therapy
• bimanual training

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper. No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated. The authors do not have a direct or indirect affiliation with any people or organization discussed in the manuscript. The authors declare that the work presented in this thesis is, to the best of the authors’ knowledge and belief, original, except as acknowledged in the text, and that the material has not been submitted, either in whole or in part, for a degree at this or any other university.