Developmental medicine and child neurology | 2021
Task-specific training for bicycle-riding goals in ambulant children with cerebral palsy: a randomized controlled trial.
Abstract
AIM\nTo determine whether a task-specific physiotherapist-led training approach is more effective than a non-specific parent-led home programme for attaining bicycle-riding goals in ambulant children with cerebral palsy (CP).\n\n\nMETHOD\nSixty-two ambulant children with CP aged 6 to 15\xa0years (33 males, 29 females, mean age 9y 6mo) with bicycle-riding goals participated in this multi-centre, assessor-blind, parallel-group, superiority randomized controlled trial. Children in the task-specific group participated in a physiotherapist-led, group-based, intensive training programme. Children in the parent-led home group were provided with a practice schedule, generic written information, and telephone support. Both programmes involved a 1-week training period. The primary outcome was goal attainment at 1\xa0week after training measured using the Goal Attainment Scale. Secondary outcomes included bicycle skills, participation in bicycle riding, functional skills, self-perception, physical activity, and health-related quality of life at 1\xa0week and 3\xa0months after training.\n\n\nRESULTS\nChildren in the task-specific training group had greater odds of goal attainment than those in the parent-led home programme at 1\xa0week after intervention (odds ratio [OR] 10.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.8-38.6), with evidence for superiority retained at 3\xa0months (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.3-12.5).\n\n\nINTERPRETATION\nThe task-specific physiotherapist-led training approach was more effective for attaining bicycle-riding goals than a non-specific parent-led home programme in ambulant children with CP.