Peer-reviewed article
Comparison of action observation therapy and virtual reality combined with conventional therapy for upper extremity rehabilitation in children with unilateral cerebral palsy.
Burak SE, Burak M, Elbasan B ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study compared two rehabilitation methods for children with unilateral cerebral palsy affecting the upper body. Forty-five children aged 5-15 years received either action observation therapy, virtual reality gaming with XBOX Kinect, or conventional physiotherapy alone. Both additional therapies showed better results than conventional therapy alone, with action observation therapy producing slightly broader improvements in grip strength, hand function, and quality of life.
Key points
- Both action observation therapy and XBOX Kinect combined with conventional therapy significantly outperformed conventional therapy alone (p<0.017)
- Action observation therapy achieved clinically meaningful gains across all types of grasp and hand selectivity
- XBOX mainly improved pinch grip, lateral grip, and forearm selectivity
- Both intervention groups showed improvements in hand function (ABILHAND-Kids) and quality of life (PedsQL)
- All children received conventional physiotherapy as a baseline (45 minutes, twice weekly for 3 weeks)
Limitations
The document does not specify which country the study was conducted in, and it does not report long-term follow-up or sustainability of the improvements beyond the intervention period.
Abstract
Background This study aims to evaluate and compare the effects of two neurorehabilitation methods-action observation therapy (AOT) and XBOX 360 Kinect™ (XBOX) on upper extremity body structure functions, activity, and functional participation levels in children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy (UCP). Methods Forty-five children with UCP (aged 5-15 years) were randomly divided into three groups: AOT, XBOX, and Conventional (CNV). All groups received conventional physiotherapy (45 minutes, twice weekly for 3 weeks). The AOT group had additional 30-minute daily telerehabilitation sessions, while the XBOX group used XBOX 360 Kinect for the same duration. Evaluations included the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Jamar Hand Dynamometer, Baseline Mechanical Grip Meter, Selective Control of the Upper Extremity Scale (SCUES), Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT), Abilhand-Kids, and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Statistical significance was set at p<0.017. Results Both AOT and XBOX groups showed greater improvements than CNV(p<0.017). AOT achieved clinically meaningful gains in all grasp types and selectivity, while XBOX mainly improved pinch, lateral grip, and forearm selectivity. Both groups improved in ABILHAND-Kids and PedsQL, with broader gains in AOT. Conclusion AOT and XBOX are effective supplementary therapies for upper extremity rehabilitation in children with UCP, complementing conventional physiotherapy. Clinical trial number NCT05327179.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Action observation therapy or XBOX 360 Kinect virtual reality gaming combined with conventional physiotherapy
- Population
- 45 children aged 5-15 years with unilateral cerebral palsy
Key finding
AOT group showed greater improvements than conventional therapy in all grasp types and hand selectivity
SE et al. · Europe PMC · 5 Sept 2026