Comparison of Single Session Auditory Versus Visual Feedback on Performance and Postural Balance in Hemiplegic Children With Cerebral Palsy.

Background:  Cerebral palsy (CP) is a pediatric disorder characterized by a motor impairment resulting from a permanent, non-progressive lesion in the brain. Cerebral palsy is marked by movement and postural control impairments, which greatly affect body structure, function, daily activities, and participation.
Objective: To compare the single-session auditory versus visual feedback on performance and postural balance in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
Method: The study was a crossover clinical trial involving a group of 25 patients diagnosed with CP hemiplegia, aged between 6 and 12 years, including both genders. Each patient underwent conventional balance therapy followed by either auditory feedback or visual feedback intervention. After a 48-hour wash-out period, they received conventional balance therapy again before undergoing the alternative intervention initially assigned. The Modified Ashworth scale (MAS), pediatric balance scale (PBS), timed one-leg stance, time up and go test (TUG), and center of pressure (CoP) displacements were assessed as the outcome measures before and after the interventions.
Results: Based on the one-leg stand test, TUG, and CoP displacement outcome measures results, both interventions improved balance time, speed of movement, and postural stability in children with hemiplegic spastic cerebral palsy (P < 0.05). Moreover, after a single session of the intervention, the visual feedback group demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in the TUG test, one-leg stand test, and CoP displacement compared to the auditory group (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that combining auditory or visual feedback with conventional balance therapy is effective in treating children with hemiplegic spastic cerebral palsy; furthermore, the utilization of visual feedback would be more effective. Further research is needed to determine the long-term effects of visual and auditory feedback on the assessed outcome measures.
Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Tehran University of Medical Sciences’ ethical committee issued approval IR.TUMS.FNM.REC.1402.158. The study was done after receiving the ethical approval of the Tehran University of Medical Sciences’ ethical committee with the reference number [NO: IR.TUMS.FNM.REC.1402.158] and registered in the Iranian registry of clinical trials under IRCT ID [IRCT20230903059340N1]. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.
(Copyright © 2024, Alhashimi et al.)