Abstract

Background. Unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP) is a kind of spastic cerebral palsy which is characterized by atypical posture of upper limb, poor eye-hand coordination, and reduced hand skills. These symptoms can restrict a child’s ability to engage in life activities. Purpose. To compare the effectiveness of mirror therapy as well as task-oriented training on hand functions improvement among UCP children. Methods. Sixty children suffering from UCP were randomly allocated into three equal groups. A schemed physical therapy protocol was utilized to the control, mirror therapy (MT), and task-oriented training (TOT) groups. The protocols of mirror therapy and task-oriented training were administered to MT and TOT groups respectively. Assessments of upper extremity skills, hand dexterity, wrist extension range of motion, along with overall grip strength were conducted at baseline and after intervention using the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (QUEST), Box and Block Test (BBT), universal goniometer, as well as pneumatic squeeze handheld dynamometer respectively. Throughout a total of twelve consecutive weeks, the intervention session was held three days a week. Results. The change amount in all measured hand outcomes were significantly improved following the intervention in all three groups, with the TOT group showing a larger significant effect. Conclusion. Task-oriented training had superior impact than mirror therapy in enhancing hand functions among children having UCP.

Keywords

cerebral palsy, hand functions, mirror therapy, task-oriented training