The effect of sensory motor integration therapy on gross motor function in cerebral palsy children

Abstract EN

Background : cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that affects the functional mobility of children in their daily life.

sensory integration intervention represents an emergent aspect of study and is as important as the role of motor affection in children suffering spastic cerebral palsy.

therefore, early intervention with all management modalities may improve children's mobility, activity, and participation.

objectives : to study the impact of sensory integration therapy on gross motor function and muscle spasticity in an Egyptian sample of children with cerebral palsy.

methods : two hundred children attending neurological outpatient clinic were examined by pediatric neurologist to meet the inclusion criteria of the study in which total number of sixty-five (n = 65) children diagnosed with cerebral palsy with age range three to nine years old were recruited from center of special needs children Ain shams university, Cairo, Egypt.

all subjects received pre and post intervention assessment of gross motor function using gross motor function measurement-88 scale by a pediatric neurologist, child sensory profile-2 and modified Ashworth spasticity scale.

sensory integration therapy sessions were done 3 times per week each for 60 minutes for 6 months duration with total 72 sessions.

duration of the study was from July 2020 to October 2021.

results : sixty five CP patients (n = 65) where 21 females 32.2% and 44 males 67.7% with spastic cerebral palsy participated in the study.

results showed improvement with high significance (p < 0.0001) in the 5 domains of gross motor functions within the study group after intervention with sensory integration sessions.

decrease in muscle spasticity (p < 0.0001) in those children.

sensory profile assessment also showed significant improvement in its aspects with (p < 0.0001).

conclusion : sensory integration therapy is a promising modality of rehabilitation and could be very beneficial in the early intervention management plan of cerebral palsy.