SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Upper limb intensive training is a non-surgical approach to treat arm and hand function in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP). Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) has been regarded as the most widely recognized and studied approaches. A growing body of evidence suggests there are several feasible alternative protocols. The objective of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness of various upper limb intensive training protocols on post-intervention motor function, as compared to CIMT alone, in children with UCP.

I first became introduced to upper extremity intensive training through my current practice where I work closely with children with neuromotor conditions, including hemiplegia. I began informally researching alternative upper extremity intervention approaches for the pediatric population in the process of developing several of my artifacts. Initially I was just curious about what other options may exist aside from CIMT, as CIMT was not always feasible for every child I worked with. Eventually, this topic so piqued my interest it led to more formal research inquisition. I chose to focus my systematic review on alternative upper limb training approaches since it was a topic that so closely aligned with my own clinical interests and could directly benefit the patient population I work with.