Interfacing a Haptic Robotic System with Complex Virtual Environments to Treat Impaired Upper Extremity Motor Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Overview

Journal Dev Neurorehabil

Publisher Informa Healthcare

Specialties Neurology
Pediatrics
Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2010 Sep 11

PMID 20828330

Citations 14

Authors

Gerard G Fluet

Qinyin Qiu

Donna Kelly

Heta D Parikh

Diego Ramirez

Soha Saleh

Sergei V Adamovich

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the ability of the New Jersey Institute of Technology Robot Assisted Virtual Rehabilitation (NJIT-RAVR) system training to elicit changes in upper extremity (UE) function in children with hemiplegia secondary to cerebral palsy.

Methods: Nine children (mean age 9 years, three males) participated in three pilots. Subjects trained 1 hour, 3 days a week for 3 weeks. Two groups performed this protocol as their only intervention. The third group also performed 5-6 hours of constraint-induced movement therapy.

Results: All subjects participated in a short programme of nine, 60-minute training sessions without adverse effects. As a group, subjects demonstrated statistically significant improvements in Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function Test, a composite of three timed UE tasks and several measurements of reaching kinematics. Several subjects demonstrated clinically significant improvements in active shoulder abduction and flexion as well as forearm supination.

Conclusion: Three small pilots of NJIT-RAVR training demonstrated measurable benefit with no complications, warranting further examination.

Citing Articles

New Technological Approaches in Occupational Therapy for Pediatric Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review.

Martinez-Rodriguez L, Garcia-Bravo C, Garcia-Bravo S, Salcedo-Perez-Juana M, Perez-Corrales J Healthcare (Basel). 2025; 13(5).

PMID: 40077021 PMC: 11899563. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare13050459.

Robot-assisted upper limb therapy for personalized rehabilitation in children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review.

Cardone D, Perpetuini D, Di Nicola M, Merla A, Morone G, Ciancarelli I Front Neurol. 2025; 15():1499249.

PMID: 39835154 PMC: 11743387. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1499249.

Development of a Virtual Robot Rehabilitation Training System for Children with Cerebral Palsy: An Observational Study.

Lu Z, Luo Y, Pencic M, Oros D, cavic M, dukic V Sensors (Basel). 2025; 24(24.

PMID: 39771873 PMC: 11679212. DOI: 10.3390/s24248138.

Outcomes Associated with a Single Joystick-Operated Ride-on-Toy Navigation Training Incorporated into a Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy Program: A Pilot Feasibility Study.

Srinivasan S, Amonkar N, Kumavor P, Morgan K, Bubela D Behav Sci (Basel). 2023; 13(5).

PMID: 37232651 PMC: 10215179. DOI: 10.3390/bs13050413.

Limb Length Discrepancy and Corticospinal Tract Disruption in Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy.

Kim H, Son S Children (Basel). 2022; 9(8).

PMID: 36010088 PMC: 9406518. DOI: 10.3390/children9081198.

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