Virtual Reality Combined With Bobath Therapy for Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Virtual Reality Combined With Bobath Therapy: Immersive, task-oriented virtual reality training integrated with Bobath neurodevelopmental therapy, delivered by trained physical therapists. Each session will last 40 minutes and will be conducted five times per week for a total duration of 6 weeks.

Conventional Bobath Therapy: Standard Bobath-based neurodevelopmental therapy provided by experienced physical therapists, without the use of virtual reality. Sessions will last 40 minutes and will be conducted five times per week for a total duration of 6 weeks.

Study summary

Spastic cerebral palsy is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by increased muscle tone, impaired balance, and limitations in motor function, particularly in the lower limbs. Conventional rehabilitation approaches such as the Bobath technique are widely used to improve posture control and movement patterns; however, patient engagement and task variability may be limited.

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) combined with Bobath therapy on lower limb muscle activity, balance, and gross motor function in patients with spastic cerebral palsy. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either a VR plus Bobath intervention group or a conventional Bobath therapy group.

The intervention will be delivered over a 6-week period, with sessions conducted five times per week. Outcome measures, including surface electromyography (sEMG), center of pressure (COP) parameters, and the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88), will be assessed before and after the intervention. This study seeks to provide evidence on whether integrating VR into conventional rehabilitation can improve functional outcomes in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Lower Limb Muscle Activity Assessed by Surface Electromyography — Baseline and immediately after 6 weeks of intervention
  Lower limb muscle activity will be assessed using surface electromyography (sEMG). The sEMG amplitude and activation patterns of the rectus femoris, biceps femoris, tibialis anterior, and soleus muscles will be recorded during standardized functional tasks.
• Balance Function Assessed by Center of Pressure Parameters — Baseline and immediately after 6 weeks of intervention
  Balance function will be evaluated using center of pressure (COP) measurements obtained from plantar pressure analysis. Static and dynamic balance parameters will be analyzed to assess postural control.
• Gross Motor Function Measured by the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 — Baseline and immediately after 6 weeks of intervention
  Gross motor function will be assessed using the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88). Dimension D (standing) and Dimension E (walking, running, and jumping) scores will be used for analysis.

Trial sites (1)