Effect of action observation therapy on upper limb function in cerebral palsy: a systematic review / 中国康复理论与实践

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the effect of action observation therapy (AOT) on upper limb function in children with cerebral palsy. MethodsRelevant literatures about the effect of AOT on upper limb function in children with cerebral palsy were retrieved from the databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and CNKI, from the establishment to July 9, 2022. ResultsEleven articles involving 497 patients were included, which were mainly published in the past ten years. The studies included hospital-based studies with therapist supervision and home-based studies without therapist supervision, mainly related to the improvement of upper limb function of AOT in children with cerebral palsy. Experimental group performed actions related to activities of daily living, while control group mainly watched video clips excluding actions, 15 to 120 minutes a time, three to five times a week, with most of the intervention periods of three to four weeks. AOT improved the upper limb function of children with cerebral palsy in terms of body structure and function, and activity and participation, specifically grip strength, muscle tension, and hand dexterity and function. ConclusionHospital-based AOT with therapist supervision can improve upper limb function in children with cerebral palsy, while the effect of home-based AOT without therapist supervision and the long-term effect of AOT need to be further studied.