Rehabilitation Specific Gaming in CP
Condition: Cerebral Palsy
MeSH terms: Cerebral Palsy
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The aim of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of using rehabilitation-specific
      gaming in physical therapy of children with cerebral palsy.

      The primary goal of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating 15 to 20
      minutes of gaming using a rehabilitation-specific gaming platform into standard physiotherapy
      sessions on the achievement of individual goals of children with bilateral spastic cerebral
      palsy with GMFCS level III-IV.

      The secondary goal of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating 15 to 20
      minutes of gaming using a rehabilitation-specific gaming platform into standard physiotherapy
      sessions on trunk control and gross motor function of children with bilateral spastic
      cerebral palsy with GMFCS level III-IV.
    

Detailed description: 
      Forty children are recruited via the Cerebral Palsy Reference Centre (University Hospital
      Leuven, Pellenberg). Children are recruited when they have been diagnosed with bilateral
      spastic CP, Gross Motor Function Classification (GMFCS) level III-IV, aged between 6 and 15y
      and standardly receive physiotherapy at an intensity of minimally 2 times per week, 45
      minutes per session.

      Children are randomized into the intervention group (conventional, usual therapy including
      the use of rehabilitation-specific gaming) or the control group (PT, usual physiotherapy not
      including gaming), followed by a cross-over. After the intervention period of 3 months,
      wash-out period will be organized to evaluate follow-up effects.

      During the intervention period, the usual individual physiotherapy program of the child will
      be continued as performed before the study and will be executed by the child's usual,
      familiar physiotherapist. The therapist will be asked to use the rehabilitation-specific
      gaming software every therapy session, for at least 15 to 20 minutes. The therapist will
      receive an extensive introduction and demonstration of the software and the researchers will
      participate in at least one therapy session.

      During the control period, the usual, conventional physiotherapy of the child will be
      continued and the therapist will be asked not to use any gaming activities. Also during the
      control period, the frequency and duration of the therapy sessions will not be influenced by
      the researchers.

      A wash-out period in between both programs, assumes that therapy effects are still present
      for a certain period after the intervention and therefore aims to wash-out these effects.
      Therefore, this period is considered after each intervention period. As during the control
      period, therapy will be continued as usual during the washout-period but no gaming is allowed
      during therapy.

      All intervention and control periods will have the same duration of 3 months. During all
      periods, therapists will receive a diary to register the exact amount of therapy performed.
      The diary that will be provided during the intervention, will also question the specific
      games played and will register the therapy goals strived for.

      Children will be evaluated before and after each intervention or control period using a
      multidimensional assessment protocol. In addition, children will also receive a follow-up
      evaluation 3 months after the last intervention period. This will result in 4 evaluation
      moments for each child. The evaluation exist of the Goal Attainment Scale, the Gross Motor
      Function Measure, the Pediatric Balance Scale, the Trunk Control Measurement Scale and the
      Dimensions of Mastery Motivation Questionnaire (DMQ).
    

Intervention name(s): Rehabilitation-specific gaming platform
Intervention type(s): Other
Intervention description(s): The rehabilitation specific gaming software was developed as part of the ICT4rehab project with partners from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the University Libre de Bruxelles. The ICT4Rehab puts several ICT tools supporting 2/3D user interaction into place. The games can be controlled using a Kinect camera system (Microsoft(®) (Redmond, WA) Kinect™) or a Wii balance board (® NintendoTM, Japan), depending on the choice of the therapist and the needs of the child.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Intervention model description: Children are randomized into the intervention group (conventional, usual therapy including the use of rehabilitation-specific gaming) or the control group (PT, usual physiotherapy not including gaming), followed by a cross-over. After the intervention period of 3 months, wash-out period will be organized to evaluate follow-up effects.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment