Constraint Induced Movement Therapy in Infants and Toddlers with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the leading cause of motor disability in childhood. Recent studies have investigated the effectiveness of constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT) as an early intervention for infants and toddlers with hemiplegic CP. This scoping review aims to identify current evidence for CIMT protocols for children 3 months to 5 years 11 months as well as clinical applications for practice and gaps in research. Selected databases and additional studies were searched and reviewed with 10 studies were selected for review. Results show CIMT for infants and toddlers is a feasible and effective treatment consisting of caregiver coaching, treatment in the child’s typical environment, and just right activities. Future research is needed to determine the effects of different dosages in early CIMT, and the long term developmental effects throughout childhood.

Keywords:

• Cerebral palsy
• CIMT
• hemiplegic
• infants
• toddlers

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to express gratitude to Elaine Cox, Health Sciences Librarian for her knowledge and expertise. We would also like to acknowledge Meredith Malcom, Kaitlin Pate, Amanda Hunt, and Deborah Walker for their assistance in searching, reviewing, and selecting literature for this scoping review.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.