Effectiveness of Passive Movement Training in Patients with Cerebral Palsy: A Comparative Analysis of Robot-Assisted Therapy and Electrical Stimulation in Hand Rehabilitation

Abstract

Background: Cerebral palsy is a non-progressive neurodevelopmental condition that re-sults in varied degrees of disability, with upper limb functioning affected in over 80% of cases. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of passive movement train-ing of the hand (PMT) with robot-assisted therapy (RAT) compared to PMT with function-al electrical stimulation (FES). Methods: Fifty-eight patients diagnosed with CP, aged be-tween 7 and 14 years, participated in a two-week rehabilitation program involving physi-cal therapy (PT) combined with either RAT or FES. Post-rehabilitation, we assessed the evolution of cylinder grip, finger extension, pinch grips, lateral grip, and three-point grip in each therapy group to determine the more effective passive movement training. Results: Both the RAT group (p < 0.001) and the FES group (p < 0.01) demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in all parameters. Patients who received PT and FES exhibited more significant improvement in each movement, except for the pinch index grip, where the RAT group showed superior results. Conclusions: Our findings indicate the positive effects of both PMTs on hand function rehabilitation. We recommend incorporating both therapies into rehabilitation programs for enhanced outcomes.

Keywords

• cerebral palsy
• hand function
• passive movement training
• robot-assisted therapy
• electrical stimulation