Clinical trial NCT01267929: Effects of Mirror Neurons Stimulation on Motor Skill Rehabilitation in Children With Cerebral Palsy
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Children With Spastic Diplegia, Between the Ages of 2 to 10 Years
Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Level I,II and III
Keywords: Children with cerebral palsy
Gross Motor Function Measure
Imitative learning
Mirror neuron
Action observation
Conventional physical therapy
Lead sponsor: Thammasat University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Research Council of Thailand
First posted: 2010-12-29
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 2
Maximum age (years): 10
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This study aimed to develop Video Compact Disc (VCD) program that applying the concept of imitative learning with mirror neurons stimulation on standard rehabilitation technique in children with cerebral palsy. The author will also examine effectiveness of the program by compare the motor function measured by the gross motor function measure (GMFM-66) between conventional physical therapy and the mirror neurons stimulation based VCD program for six months.

Detailed description: A randomized controlled trial was performed with thirty children with cerebral palsy recruited from Thammasat University Hospital and Rajanukul institute. Informed consent was obtained from the participants' parents before participation in this study. The participants were randomly assigned according to the randomization list to receive either the mirror neurons stimulation based VCD program and practice at home or conventional physical therapy for six months. The participants in the experiment group received the mirror neurons stimulation based VCD program and practice at home three times a day for six months. Concerning the control group, the participants received conventional physical therapy regularly at the hospital once a week for first two months and twice a month for last four months. Both experimental and control groups were measured their motor functions with gross motor function measure (GMFM-66).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Children with cerebral palsy aged between 2-10 years old
* GMFCS level of one to three
* Able to verbal instruction
* Sitting are performed without assistance
* Standing and walking are performed with adult assistance
* No severe limitation of joint movement

Exclusion Criteria:

* The children were received orthopedic intervention or botulinum toxin injection within 6 months
* Seizure
* Other conditions that prevent children from participate in research project
* Severe visual and hearing deficits

Primary outcomes:
measure: The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) Score at Entry, the Second and the Sixth Month.
timeFrame: Base line, two months and six months
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Pathumthani
country: Thailand
facility: Department of Physical therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences Thammasat University
Study officials:
affiliation: Thailand:Faculty of Medicine Thammasat University
name: Assoc.Prof.Paskorn Sritipsukho, MD
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References: