Effect of PNF on Selective Motor Control and Balance in CP

Effects of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation on Selective Motor Control of Lower Extremity and Balance in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is attributed to non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing infant brain or fetal characterized by abnormalities of muscle tone, movement and motor skills. PNF technique is thought to have an impact on voluntary motor control and balance through stimulation of proprioceptors, so the aim of this study is to determine the effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation technique on selective motor control and balance on children with cerebral palsy.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: CP (Cerebral Palsy)
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques.; Other: Traditional physical therapy

Detailed Description

A case study was conducted in 2021 to determine the effects of PNF training for improving lower limb coordination in 7 years old cerebral palsy child. After the intervention, significant improvement is seen in gait parameters, balance, and gross motor functional classification score.

A case report was conducted in 2020, to determine the effectiveness of PNF technique in improving lower extremity function in spastic diplegic cerebral palsied adolescent. Patient was treated with tone inhibitory and movement facilitatory techniques. There was significant change in balance and lower extremity function before and after the treatment.

There are multiple impairments in spastic cerebral palsy children; the inability to perform purposeful voluntary movements is a critical factor in determining functional ability of children. Since selective voluntary motor control is an important factor that must be achieved in cerebral palsy children, PNF may be considered as a technique to gain selective voluntary control and balance proving an important intervention for cerebral palsy children.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 26
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Punjab
    • Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, 54000
      • Pakistan Society for Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PSRD)

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 5 years to 12 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children diagnosed as spastic diplegic cerebral palsy
• Age between 5-12 years and both genders.
• Gross motor function level II and III according to gross motor functional classification scale (GMFCS).
• Spasticity range between 1 and 1+ grade according to modified ashworth scale
• Children who are able to follow simple verbal instructions

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children with uncontrolled epilepsy
• Children who show no cooperation
• Children receiving botulinum toxin injections or surgery no earlier than 6 months before project starts.
• Subjects with presence of shortening or deformities of lower limb

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques; Experimental group will receive proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching which include hold-relax and contract-relax for 6 sec hold, 10 repetitions and 2 min rest in between, for 5 day/week for 4 weeks along with conventional physical therapy.	Other: Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques.; Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching which include hold-relax and contract-relax for 6 sec hold, 10 repetitions and 2 min rest in between, for 5 day/week for 4 weeks along with conventional treatment for 40 minutes.
Active Comparator: traditional physical therapy; this group will receive conventional therapy (ROMs, stretching, strengthening).	Other: Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques.; Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching which include hold-relax and contract-relax for 6 sec hold, 10 repetitions and 2 min rest in between, for 5 day/week for 4 weeks along with conventional treatment for 40 minutes.; Other: Traditional physical therapy; Conventional therapy (ROMs, stretching, strengthening) of lower limbs for 40 minutes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pediatric Berg Balance Scale	The Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS), a modification of Berg's Balance Scale, was developed as a balance measure for school-age children with mild to moderate motor impairments. It has 14 items with score 0-4. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) is 0.998 (18).	last one week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Selective control assessment of lower extremity (SCALE)	The SCALE tool was designed for clinical administration and scoring by healthcare professionals, to be used in less than 15 minutes without specialized equipment. Hip, knee, ankle, subtalar, and toe joints are assessed bilaterally. One representative reciprocal movement that varies from the mass flexor/extensor patterns is chosen to assess SVMC for each joint. Total score is 10 for each limb. Intra-class correlation coefficient ranges from 0.88 to 0.91 (19).	last one week

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Riphah International University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Shabana Ashraf, Masters, Riphah International University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Rosenbaum P, Paneth N, Leviton A, Goldstein M, Bax M, Damiano D, Dan B, Jacobsson B. A report: the definition and classification of cerebral palsy April 2006. Dev Med Child Neurol Suppl. 2007 Feb;109:8-14. Erratum In: Dev Med Child Neurol. 2007 Jun;49(6):480.
• Bax M, Goldstein M, Rosenbaum P, Leviton A, Paneth N, Dan B, Jacobsson B, Damiano D; Executive Committee for the Definition of Cerebral Palsy. Proposed definition and classification of cerebral palsy, April 2005. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2005 Aug;47(8):571-6. doi: 10.1017/s001216220500112x.
• Mutch L, Alberman E, Hagberg B, Kodama K, Perat MV. Cerebral palsy epidemiology: where are we now and where are we going? Dev Med Child Neurol. 1992 Jun;34(6):547-51. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1992.tb11479.x. No abstract available.
• Tang-Wai R, Webster RI, Shevell MI. A clinical and etiologic profile of spastic diplegia. Pediatr Neurol. 2006 Mar;34(3):212-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2005.08.027.
• 15. Akalan E, Ertürk G, Önerge K, Evrendirek H, Karaca G. Investigation of the Relationship Between Selective Voluntary Motor Control and Static Balance in Cerebral Palsy. 2019.
• Franjoine MR, Darr N, Held SL, Kott K, Young BL. The performance of children developing typically on the pediatric balance scale. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2010 Winter;22(4):350-9. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0b013e3181f9d5eb.
• Balzer J, Marsico P, Mitteregger E, van der Linden ML, Mercer TH, van Hedel HJ. Construct validity and reliability of the Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity in children with cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2016 Feb;58(2):167-72. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.12805. Epub 2015 May 20.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 15, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): January 15, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 6, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 13, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): December 14, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 3, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 31, 2023
• Last Verified: March 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Balance; Proprioceptive neuromuscular techniques; Selective voluntary motor control
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Brain Damage, Chronic; Cerebral Palsy
• Other Study ID Numbers: REC/22/0725 Misbah Tahir

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No