Background: Previous studies have compared the effectiveness of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) by different training doses. However, whether the dosing schedule, that is, intensive or distributed, influences the effectiveness of CIMT in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP) is unknown.
Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of intensive and distributed CIMT for children with unilateral CP.
Methods: Fifty children with unilateral CP were assigned to intensive or distributed CIMT group with a total of 36 training hours. The intensive CIMT was delivered within 1 week, and the distributed CIMT was delivered twice a week for 8 weeks. The outcomes were the Melbourne Assessment 2, Box and Block Test, Pediatric Motor Activity Log-Revised (PMAL-R), Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency 2, ABILHAND-Kids and Parenting Stress Index-Short Form. The intensive group was assessed at the initiation of treatment (week 0), at the end of 1 week treatment (week 1), and 8 weeks after the initiation of treatment (week 8). The distributed group was assessed at week 0 and week 8.
Results: The within-group analyses demonstrated significant differences on all motor outcomes. There were no significant between-group differences at post-treatment, while the intensive CIMT demonstrated larger improvements than the distributed CIMT did on quality of use of the more-affected hand, as rated by parents on the PMAL-R at week 8.
Conclusions: The 2 dosing schedules of CIMT had similar effectiveness for children with unilateral CP. The intensive CIMT yielded additional improvement on parent rated motor quality of the more-affected hand at 8 weeks after the initiation of treatment.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT03128385).
Keywords: effectiveness; hemiplegia; motor performance; neurorehabilitation; upper limb function.