Effects of Interactive Sensory Play on Manual Dexterity in Down Syndrome

Effects of Interactive Sensory Play on Manual Dexterity in Down Syndrome Children

Down Syndrome is a genetic condition in which a patient has an extra chromosome which is a copy of chromosome 21. It causes physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. The person has difficulty with normal life activities. This study evaluates the effect of interactive sensory play on coordinated hand movements or manual dexterity in children with Down Syndrome. Down syndrome is one of the most common birth defects and causes impairments in the body. The children diagnosed with Down syndrome need great deal of therapies in early childhood so that can live a better life. The objective of this study is to assess the effects of interactive sensory play on manual dexterity in Down syndrome children.

The study design will be a Randomized Controlled Trial. The study setting will be Tehsil Headquater hospital Sadiqabad. The study duration will be 10 months after the approval of the synopsis. The Sample Size will be 22 which is calculated by epitools. The sampling technique will be a Non-probability convenient sampling technique. Children who are diagnosed with Down Syndrome will be included. Children with other musculoskeletal and neurological issues will be excluded. Data Collection Tools will be Box and Block test and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory. Identification and recruitment of the participants with Down syndrome will be done. Participants will be selected through lottery for both groups. Group 1 will use Interactive Sensory play and Group 2 will use Free Play as intervention. The assessor will be blind. The data will be analyzed using SPSS 23.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Down Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Sensory Bins; Other: Drawing and Painting

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 22
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: IMRAN AMJAD, PhD; Phone Number: 9233224390125; Email: imran.amjad@riphah.edu.pk
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Muhammad Asif Javed, MS-PT; Phone Number: 923224209422; Email: a.javed@riphah.edu.pk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children with moderate level of mental retardation who are able to follow commands

Exclusion Criteria:

• • Children with other musculoskeletal and neurological issues.

  • Children with down syndrome but also have complications such as epilepsy, congenital heart condition.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Interactive Sensory play with Free Play Group; Participants of this group will play in a group with sensory bins with other children. The sensory bin is a basket filled with different objects of different shapes, sizes, and textures. The intervention will help children interact with others in society and for improving manual dexterity. The children play in group and alone also for this group. According to FITT Principle, the intervention will be given 3 days a week for 12 weeks and alternate days will be selected. At first, small and easy tasks will be given and after every 2 weeks, the tasks will be upgraded. The free play will be given for 15 minutes and interactive sensory play will be given for 30 minutes. The interventions will be given for 45 minutes in each session.	Other: Sensory Bins; The sensory bin is a basket filled with different objects of different shapes, sizes, and textures.; Other: Drawing and Painting; Colored pencils and watercolors will be used.
Active Comparator: Free Play Group; Drawing and painting are involved in free play. Participants of this group will play alone. The participants will draw or paint for improving manual dexterity. According to the FITT Principle, the intervention will be given 3 days a week for 12 weeks and alternate days will be selected. At first, small and easy tasks will be given and after every 2 weeks, the tasks will be upgraded. The interventions will be given for 45 minutes in each session.	Other: Drawing and Painting; Colored pencils and watercolors will be used.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Box and Block test	This test is used to measure manual dexterity. This test is simple, cheap and quick. The test can be used for different populations to assess the coordinated movements of the hands. The test-retest reliability on more weak hand is 0.98 and the less weak hand is 0.93.It has good convergent validity as the value is 0.80.	At the start as baseline data. Again at 6th week and then finally at 12th week.
• Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory	This is an interviewing tool to assess the independence of the patients to perform different activities using their hands. The reliability that was seen was ranging from 0.18 to 0.94. The value of construct validity was seen to be ranging from 0.64-0.95.	At the start as baseline data. Again at 6th week and then finally at 12th week.
Nine-Hole Peg Test	This test is used to assess manual dexterity. This test is easy, simple and quick. This test assess coordinated movements of hands. This test consists of a board with nine holes and square boxes or pegs which are inserted into the holes by the participants. This test can be used for assessment in every population. It has excellent interrater reliability which is equal to 0.75 to 0.99. It has excellent convergent validity that is equal to 0.82.	At the start as baseline data. Again at 6th week and then finally at 12th week.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Riphah International University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Taiba Hussain, MS-PPT, Riphah International University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Jarusriboonchai P, Meissner JL, Almeida T, Balaam M. Understanding children's free play in primary schools. InProceedings of the 9th International Conference on Communities & Technologies-Transforming Communities 2019 Jun 3 (pp. 178-188).

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): April 15, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 15, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 16, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 17, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 17, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): April 24, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 24, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 17, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Manual Dexterity; Interactive Sensory play; Free Play
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Disease; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Congenital Abnormalities; Abnormalities, Multiple; Intellectual Disability; Chromosome Disorders; Syndrome; Down Syndrome
• Other Study ID Numbers: REC/RCR/AHS/25/taiba hussain

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