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NCT Number: NCT05546164

Strength and Dexterity of Less Affected Hand of Hemiparetic Cerebral Palsy Children

The contralateral hand deficits are often masked by the complex clinical presentation of the more affected hand in children with spastic hemiparesis. Thus, intervention targeting the contralateral hand is not often a component of the child's rehabilitation plan of care. The presence of bilateral hand deficits, even if subtle in the contralateral hand, may limit the transfer of unimanual gains following rehabilitation to bimanual activities of daily living tasks. However, conservation of upper-limb function of the less-affected side is highly important for individuals with hemiparesis, because this side is often employed as a compensatory 'tool' in performing activities of daily living . Therefore, the current study will be conducted to determine and compare the motor abilities of the less affected hand of children with hemiparesis.

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Key information

Conditions

Cerebral Palsy Brain Damage, Chronic Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases

Age range

6 year–10 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University

Giza, 12662, Egypt

About this study

An impairment of the less affected hand of hemiparetic cerebral palsy children can be detrimental to the development of bimanual skills. It would be beneficial to identify and quantify the severity of any impairment of the less affected hand of hemiparetic cerebral palsy children. Hemiparetic cerebral palsy may present with substantial deficits in hand function, because bimanual activities involve the ability to use the affected and contralateral hands together for grasp and stabilization. Several authors have evaluated bimanual involvement in cerebral palsy but these studies have not compared the contralateral hand with norms. The less affected hand is widely regarded as "normal" or "unaffected" and is consequently rarely evaluated.

Several authors have reported incidental findings of subtle deficits in the less affected extremity, noted that hemiparetic children "also presented motor impairments in their non-paretic hand, especially in dexterity.

The purpose of this study is to assess the grip ,pinch strength and dexterity of less affected hand of hemiparetic cerebral palsy children and compare with dominant hand of normal peers

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Children will be recruited according to the following criteria:
  • Age range between 6 and 10 years.
  • Both sexes
  • The degree of spasticity rang from grade 1 to 1+ according to Modified Ashworth scale (Appendix II).
  • They can follow the order during the testing.

Exclusion criteria

Children will be excluded from the study if they had any of the following criteria;

  • Significant visual or auditory defect that may affect their performance.
  • Previous orthopedic surgery for upper extremity.
  • Injection with Botulinium toxin in the last 6 months.
  • Structural deformities in any joint or bone of the upper limbs.
  • Practicing any form of sports.

Treatment and study plan

Assessment of hand grip strength

Other

Assessment of hand grip strength

Assessment of pinch strength

Other

Assessment of pinch strength

Assessment of upper limb dexterity

Other

Assessment of upper limb dexterity

Primary outcomes

  1. Hand grip strength

    Time frame: from October 2022 to September 2023

    Hand dynamometer will be used to measure grip strength. It is a reliable tool, by measuring the amount of pressure applied to the compressible bulb-shaped rubber handle (Innes, 1999).The child sit in chair with armrest, suitable back support, feet flat on the floor, shoulder adducted to side, elbow flexed to 90 degree and forearm in neutral position then teach the child how to apply pressure on bulb through grip or pinch pressure for 3 times and their mean was calculated.

  2. Hand pinch strength

    Time frame: from October 2022 to September 2023

    Hand dynamometer will be used to measure pinch strength. It is a reliable tool, by measuring the amount of pressure applied to the compressible bulb-shaped rubber handle (Innes, 1999).The child sit in chair with armrest, suitable back support, feet flat on the floor, shoulder adducted to side, elbow flexed to 90 degree and forearm in neutral position then teach the child how to apply pressure on bulb through grip or pinch pressure for 3 times and their mean was calculated.

  3. upper limb dexterity

    Time frame: from October 2022 to September 2023

    Functional dexterity test will be used for assessment of fine motor dexterity. it is a timed pegboard test that provides objective assessment of in-hand manipulation and tripod pinch, .It consists of 16 cylindrical pegs arranged on a peg board in 4 rows of 4 pegs. Participants are instructed to pick up each peg, turn it over in their hand while refraining from supinating or touching the table with the peg, and re-insert it into the pegboard as quickly as possible, beginning with the top row and proceeding in a zigzag fashion through all 4 rows. One complete practice trial is performed to allow the child to learn the task, and the second trial is timed. The time taken to complete the test is measured with a stopwatch..

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Cairo University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Strength and Dexterity of Less Affected Hand of Hemiparetic Cerebral Palsy Children: A Comparison Study With Normal Peers

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Sep 19, 2022
Registry last updated
Nov 18, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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