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Randomised trial of virtual reality gaming and physiotherapy on balance, gross motor performance and daily functions among children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy

Abstract Background Balance issues and poor gross motor function affect the daily needs of children with cerebral palsy. Purpose The study objective was to examine the effects of virtual reality gaming and physiotherapy on balance, gross motor performance and daily functioning among children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy. Method Thirty-eight children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy aged 6–12 years with GMFCS- level II-III, Manual Ability Classification System level I-III participated in this randomized controlled trial. The experimental group performed virtual reality games and physiotherapy, while the control group underwent physiotherapy alone. The exercise intensity was 60 minutes session a day, 4-days a week for 6-weeks. Paediatric Balance Scale (PBS), Kids-Mini-Balance Evaluation System Test (Kids-Mini-BESTest), Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88), and Wee-Functional Independence Measure (WeeFIM) were the outcome measures collected at baseline, 6-week post-training and 2-months follow-up. Results The time by group interaction of repeated measures ANOVA revealed no statistical significance for all the outcome measures except Kids-Mini-BESTest (p < 0.05). The PBS and, Kids-Mini-BESTest improved by a mean (standard deviation) score of 5.1(1.7) and 8.7(2.8) points, respectively in the experimental group as compared to control group [3.4(1.6) and 5.8(2.5) points]. These gains remained at follow-up (p < 0.001). Conclusion Combined virtual reality gaming and physiotherapy is not superior over physiotherapy alone in improving the gross motor performance and daily functioning among children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy. Virtual gaming, along with physiotherapy, appears to be beneficial in their balance capacity, warranting further trials to investigate the same in children with GMFCS level-III.