Case study: Improvement of hand functions in cerebral palsy
Dátum
2014-05-27T12:03:36Z
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Absztrakt
- Abstract In many cases, hand function is one of the most debilitating impairment affecting children with cerebral palsy. Often, sensory deficits, abnormal muscle tone, impairment of the gross and fine motor functions as well as coordination deficits can be seen, making even the simplest movements very difficult. Occupational therapy focuses on the developing skills that are used for daily living. The aim of this study was to show if there is any additional effect of the occupational therapy if it is combined with physical therapy on improving the hand function in a child with cerebral palsy. It was supposed that in mild cases of cerebral palsy physiotherapy and occupational training can improve the hand functions and functional movements, facilitating the self-care and the daily life activities. One 7-year old patient with spastic hemiplegia was observed and treated for fourteen weeks by using the tools of the occupational therapy. Patient had asymmetrical body posture. The right hand was in mild flexion from elbow and the right upper limb was weaker in general. Patient used orthesis for the hand (AHB) preventing the spasticity and helping the patient to be able to use the hands. Several tasks designed to improve the hand functional movements were processed and the time required for execution was measured several times during the intervention period. To estimate the trend in the improvement, sigmoid curve was fitted to data. The results showed remarkable improvement in the skills require for the coordination of movements. On the basis of characteristics of the fitted curves the tests were divided into 3 categories from the easiest to the hardest according to the time necessary for the patient to finish them. The time to complete the easier tasks reduced almost by 20%, the intermediate ones by 15-10%, while the hardest ones by 5-10% only. In conclusion, the results of this study show some improvement in hand function and may help the children with spastic hemiplegia. It has to be taken into consideration that this study was a case study with only one patient. These tests may result in different outcome in other patients with different types of CP. The severity of the disease may also influence the success of the intervention. The duration and number of repetition may be also determining factors. There is a need for further investigation with more patients and various types of CP for a more reliable result.
Leírás
Kulcsszavak
cerebral, palsy