Effectiveness of functional intensive therapy on mobility and self-care activities in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy – a prospective clinical study

Abstract

Purpose

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a major cause of childhood disability. Children with CP often lack motor skills to effectively perform activities of daily living. The aim is to assess the effectiveness of a functional intensive therapy program focused on improving individual goals in the domain of mobility and self-care in children and adolescents with CP.

Material and methods

Thirty-five CP patients, aged 11–19 years, GMFCS I–IV, received daily 6–7 h of functional therapy for 15 days. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, immediately after the program and at three months follow-up.

Results

Significant post-intervention improvement was seen on all primary and secondary outcome measures; personal goals (GAS score; COPM performance and COPM satisfaction), daily activities (ACTIVLIM), hand function (ABILHAND-Kids), mobility (ABILOCO-Kids; GMFM-66-IS score). There was no loss to follow up during the program and after three months. At follow-up, improvements were retained except for ABILOCO and GMFM-66-IS.

Conclusions

Functional intensive therapy appears feasible and seems to be effective in improving treatment goals focused on mobility and self-care, even in older and more severely affected children and adolescents with CP. After three months, these possible effects were still present.

Implications for rehabilitation

• Short intensive functional training is feasible and showing no loss to follow up in the older and more severely affected children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP).

• Short intensive functional training appears effective in improving individual goals in children and adolescents with CP and improvements endorse three months.

• Short intensive functional training seems to be effective on both mobility and self-care domains of the ICF-CY.

Keywords:

• Functional intensive therapy
• mobility and self-care
• gross motor function
• cerebral palsy
• adolescents
• ICF-CY

Disclosure statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.