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ABSTRACT
Purpose: Provide an updated review regarding treatment dosage for children with cerebral palsy (CP) by examining the variables of type, time, frequency, and intensity. Methods: A systematic review was performed with 30 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Two authors independently extracted data including information about risk of bias. Ten articles were included in the review. Results: Eight studies manipulated time, two studies manipulated frequency, and three studies manipulated both variables. No studies investigated intensity. Findings suggest that manipulating time and/or frequency may result in better motor function for higher total dosing; however, benefits were not consistent across studies and few showed clinically significant improvements. Conclusion: This most current evidence regarding the effect of dosage on motor function for children with CP suggests that there is insufficient evidence to support implementing high-dosage therapy. Further research is needed to clarify the relationship between dosage variables on motor function for children with CP.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful for the contributions of our colleagues Louise Mollinger, PT, MS and Erin Bompiani, PT, DPT, PCS for providing thoughtful and useful feedback on an earlier draft of this manuscript.
Declaration of interest
The authors have no financial relationship related to this article and no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.