a novel program using ride-on toys to improve upper extremity function in children with hemiplegia

Conditions: Hemiplegia; Cerebral Palsy; Children, Only

Summary: the purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility and utility of 2 types of play-based training programs co-delivered by researchers and caregivers within home/community settings to promote arm function among 3-to-8-year-old children with hemiplegia. specifically, investigators will assess the feasibility of implementation and acceptance/satisfaction associated with a researcher-caregiver co-delivered community-based training program involving either joystick-operated powered ride-on toys (speed training) or creative upper extremity training (craft training). the investigators will also compare the effects of these 2 types of training programs on children's arm motor function and spontaneous use of their affected arm during daily activities.

prior to the start of the study, researchers will conduct a phone screening with the family to confirm their child's eligibility to participate in the study. once eligibility is confirmed, during the pretest session (week 1), standardized assessments will be conducted to evaluate the child's ability to use their affected arm for different functional activities. during this testing visit, researchers will also attach small sensors on the child's arms and ask them to complete arm movements and functional tasks (e.g., lifting blocks and putting them into a small cup). at the pretest, the child will also be provided 2 activity monitors (similar to wrist watches) to wear on both wrists for 1 week. the activity monitors will allow the researchers to track the child's habitual arm activity over the duration of a week. in addition, caregivers will be asked to complete questionnaires to obtain information on their child's overall health, development, and their ability to use their affected arm for various activities of daily living. assessments and questionnaires will be repeated again at the posttest (i.e., at week 8 that corresponds with completion of the 6-week intervention phase) and at 1-month follow-up following intervention completion (i.e., week 12). following the pretest, the child will be randomized into one of the training groups (speed or craft). during the 6-week intervention phase, the research team will visit the child's home/community 2 times/week to provide the training. caregivers will be requested to practice 2 additional sessions every week with their child in both groups. children in the strength and power in upper extremities through exploratory driving (speed) training group will engage in multidirectional navigation games and object-based upper extremity quests using the ride-on toys. the toy will be modified to enable operation in a single joystick control mode with the joystick control provided on the child's affected side. the training activities will be designed to encourage children to use their affected arm for training activities. the training will involve children driving through incrementally challenging courses/paths and completing object-based tasks that require use of their affected arm for reaching, grasping, release, and fine manipulation activities. children will be asked to wear a mitten on their unaffected hand during the sessions. children in the creative rehabilitation for arm functional training (craft) group will engage in seated creative motor games that will encourage use of their affected arm. training activities will involve stretching and strengthening exercises, building activities (e.g., using play-doh, blocks, etc.), and art-craft projects, all of which will require the skillful use of the affected arm for reach, grasp, release, and manipulation activities. research-delivered sessions in both groups will last around 30-45 minutes. caregivers will be encouraged to provide 2 more sessions every week lasting about 15-20 minutes/session. the research team will provide caregivers in both groups with the required materials for caregiver sessions. in the speed group, the ride-on toy will be left with the family for the duration of the intervention (i.e., 6 weeks). both researchers and caregivers will be asked to keep track of training sessions (duration, frequency, etc.) using a training log. during the course of the study, children in both groups will continue to receive treatment-as-usual through school or private settings. families will be asked to log the therapies their child is receiving every week over the course of the study using a training diary (# of times/week, duration of each session, type of therapy received) provided by the researchers. researchers will video record all testing and researcher-delivered training sessions so that children's performance can be scored later.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * boys and girls between the ages of 3 - 8 years * diagnosed with hemiplegia by a medical doctor with clear asymmetry in upper extremity strength and control (i.e., one upper limb is clearly weaker than the other) * can maintain a supported sitting position for at least 15 minutes exclusion criteria: * only lower limb involvement * recent history (within past 6 months) of trauma or surgery or botox * uncorrected blindness/profound visual impairment * fixed deformities at wrist or hand * no active control in affected ue * inability to follow 2-step directions * weight \> 150 lbs.