News Report | November 1, 2021
Children With Cerebral Palsy Gain Greater Use Of Impaired Arm & Hand With More Intensive Therapy
Children with cerebral palsy and an impaired arm and hand who received high doses of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) gained greater use of their impaired limb without increasing stress for parents. In CIMT, the child’s more functional arm and hand are constrained by a lightweight cast, a splint, or a mitt. Then, a therapist uses individualized operant conditioning techniques to help the child learn to use the less functional arm.
A comparison of outcomes for children who received different intensities of CIMT —30 or 60 hours over four weeks—found that those who received the highest intensity tested . . .