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    Bike skills training for children with cerebral palsy: protocol for a randomised controlled trial
    Toovey, R ; Harvey, AR ; McGinley, JL ; Lee, KJ ; Shih, STF ; Spittle, AJ (BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2018-05)
    INTRODUCTION: Two-wheel bike riding can be a goal for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and a means of participating in physical activity. It is possible for some children with CP to ride a two-wheel bike; however, currently far fewer can ride compared with their typically developing peers. Evidence supports training targeted towards goals of the child with CP and their family; yet there is little evidence to guide best-practice bike skills training. Task-specific training may lead to attainment of two-wheel bike-specific goals. This study aims to determine if a novel task-specific approach to training two-wheel bike skills is more effective than a parent-led home programme for attaining individualised two-wheel bike-specific goals in independently ambulant children with CP aged 6-15 years. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Sixty eligible children with CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I-II) aged 6-15 years with goals relating to riding a two-wheel bike will be randomised to either a novel task-specific centre-based group programme (intervention) or a parent-led home-based programme (comparison), both involving a 1-week intervention period. The primary outcome is goal attainment in the week following the intervention period (T1). Secondary outcomes include: goal attainment and participation in physical activity at 3 months postintervention (T2) and bike skills, attendance and involvement in bike riding, self-perception and functional skills at T1 and T2. Economic appraisal will involve cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses. Adherence of clinicians and parents to the intervention and comparison protocols will be assessed. Linear and logistic regression will be used to assess the effect of the intervention, adjusted for site as used in the randomisation process. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by the Human Research and Ethics Committees at The Royal Children's Hospital (#36209). Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03003026; Pre-results.
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    Task-specific gross motor skills training for ambulant school-aged children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review
    Toovey, R ; Bernie, C ; Harvey, AR ; McGinley, JL ; Spittle, AJ (BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2017-08)
    OBJECTIVES: The primary objective is to systematically evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of task-specific training (TST) of gross motor skills for improving activity and/or participation outcomes in ambulant school-aged children with cerebral palsy (CP). The secondary objective is to identify motor learning strategies reported within TST and assess relationship to outcome. DESIGN: Systematic review. METHOD: Relevant databases were searched for studies including: children with CP (mean age >4 years and >60% of the sample ambulant); TST targeting gross motor skills and activity (skill performance, gross motor function and functional skills) and/or participation-related outcomes. Quality of included studies was assessed using standardised tools for risk of bias, study design and quality of evidence across outcomes. Continuous data were summarised for each study using standardised mean difference (SMD) and 95% CIs. RESULTS: Thirteen studies met inclusion criteria: eight randomised controlled trials (RCTs), three comparative studies, one repeated-measures study and one single-subject design study. Risk of bias was moderate across studies. Components of TST varied and were often poorly reported. Within-group effects of TST were positive across all outcomes of interest in 11 studies. In RCTs, between-group effects were conflicting for skill performance and functional skills, positive for participation-related outcomes (one study: Life-HABITS performance SMD=1.19, 95% CI 0.3 to 2.07, p<0.001; Life-HABITS satisfaction SMD=1.29, 95% CI 0.40 to 2.18, p=0.001), while no difference or negative effects were found for gross motor function. The quality of evidence was low-to-moderate overall. Variability and poor reporting of motor learning strategies limited assessment of relationship to outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Limited evidence for TST for gross motor skills in ambulant children with CP exists for improving activity and participation-related outcomes and recommendations for use over other interventions are limited by poor study methodology and heterogeneous interventions. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO ID42016036727.