Comparative Effect of CIMT and PNFTechnique on Hands Dexterity in Cerebral Palsy

June 23, 2026 updated by: Riphah International University

Comparative Effect of Constraint Induced Movement Therapy and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Technique on Hands Dexterity in Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a group of permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture, causing activity limitations that are attributed to non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing fetal or infant brain. The primary motor impairments in CP often include issues with muscle tone, reflexes, and coordination. Among the various motor disorders associated with CP, impairment of the upper extremities is particularly common and functionally debilitating. Specifically, reduced hand dexterity the ability to perform coordinated, fine motor tasks significantly impacts a child's independence in daily activities such as feeding, dressing, and school-related tasks like writing. Therefore, improving hand function is a critical goal in physiotherapy for this population The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a constraint induced movement therapy ( CIMT ) and Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation technique on dexterous movement of hands in cerebral palsy .The study design will be Randomized Controlled Trail. The study setting will be Pediatric Rehabilitation Center or Physiotherapy Department. The duration of study will be 10 months after approval of synopsis. The sample size will be 20 which is calculated by epitools. The sampling technique will be Non-probability convenient sampling . Children who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy 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.. The data will be analyzed using SPSS 23.

Keyword Cerebral Palsy, Constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT), dexterous movement, Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

26

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Lalian, Punjab Province, Pakistan
        • Recruiting
        • Baloch Hospital
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 8 to 13 years of age
  • Both male and female
  • Children with moderate level of mental retardation who are able to follow commands

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Children with other musculoskeletal and neurological issues.
  • Children who have complications such as epilepsy, congenital heart condition

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy Group
participants underwent Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) alongside conventional physical therapy, conducted five days a week for two hours daily (excluding weekends). This therapy encouraged the active use of the affected upper limb while immobilizing the unaffected limb with a mitt or sling. The aim was to improve motor recovery by combating "learned non-use." Participants engaged in repetitive, task-oriented activities tailored to their skills, such as reaching, grabbing, lifting, and handling objects of various weights and sizes. Fine motor skills exercises, like buttoning, writing, and stacking blocks, were included, progressively increasing in difficulty to enhance the application of these skills in daily activities.Therapists observed participants, provided feedback, and ensured the correct execution of movements, utilizing intense practice and molding techniques.
Behavioral: Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy
In Group A, participants underwent Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) alongside conventional physical therapy, conducted five days a week for two hours daily (excluding weekends). This therapy encouraged the active use of the affected upper limb while immobilizing the unaffected limb with a mitt or sling. The aim was to improve motor recovery by combating "learned non-use." Participants engaged in repetitive, task-oriented activities tailored to their skills, such as reaching, grabbing, lifting, and handling objects of various weights and sizes. Fine motor skills exercises, like buttoning, writing, and stacking blocks, were included, progressively increasing in difficulty to enhance the application of these skills in daily activities.Therapists observed participants, provided feedback, and ensured the correct execution of movements, utilizing intense practice and molding techniques.
Experimental: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Therapy Group
Group B received Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) therapy, each session lasting 1.5 hours per day. The PNF approach aimed to enhance functional motor abilities,reduce stiffness, and activate neuromuscular responses. Treatment included diagonal and spiral movement patterns involving the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints, adhering to a "stretch, contract, and relax" protocol. This protocol involved passively stretching the limb, followed by isometric contractions lasting 10 seconds. Repeated stretching of hypertonic muscles and isotonic or eccentric movements helped alleviate spasticity and improve flexibility. Therapists provided verbal and tactile cues to guide correct movements and enhance muscular coordination. Assessments of spasticity and functional motor abilities were conducted after given time of intervention
Behavioral: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Therapy
Group B received Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) therapy, each session lasting 1.5 hours per day. The PNF approach aimed to enhance functional motor abilities,reduce stiffness, and activate neuromuscular responses. Treatment included diagonal and spiral movement patterns involving the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints, adhering to a "stretch, contract, and relax" protocol. This protocol involved passively stretching the limb, followed by isometric contractions lasting 10 seconds. Repeated stretching of hypertonic muscles and isotonic or eccentric movements helped alleviate spasticity and improve flexibility. Therapists provided verbal and tactile cues to guide correct movements and enhance muscular coordination. Assessments of spasticity and functional motor abilities were conducted after given time of intervention

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Box and Block test
Time Frame: 6 weeks
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
6 weeks
Action Research Arm Test
Time Frame: 6 weeks
The Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) was used, assessing grasp, grip, pinch, and general movement with a score range of 0-57, where higher scores indicated improved motor function. The ARAT demonstrated high test-retest reliability (r = 0.98).
6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Riphah International University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Riaz Baloch, MBBS, Riphah International University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 11, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 25, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 23, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 23, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 29, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 23, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • REC/RCR & AHS/25/0222

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

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Cerebral Palsy

Clinical Trials on Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Czech Republic

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

3
Subscribe