Effect of mechanical vestibular stimulation on hand function in children with hemiparetic cerebral palsy

Objective: To investigate the effects of mechanical vestibular stimulation on fine motor skills and hand grip strength in children with hemiparetic cerebral palsy. Methods: Sixty hemiparetic cerebral palsied children of both sexes, ranging in age from 4 to 6 years participated in this study. They are randomly assigned into two groups: control group (A) and study group (B). Children in group A received the designed physical therapy program. Children in group B received the same physical therapy program given to group A for 45 min then mechanical vestibular exercise for 15 mins. Fine motor skills, including visual motor integration, grasp and fine motor quotient evaluated using Peabody Developmental Motor Scale (PDMS-2) while hand grip strength measured using Jamar Handheld Dynamometer before and after three months of treatment. Results: This study showed a statistically significant improvement in the two groups when comparing their pre and post treatment mean values of all measured variables. When comparing the post-treatment results, there were significant differences between groups A and B in favor of group B regarding all measured variables. Conclusion: Mechanical vestibular stimulation is better added to the rehabilitation program to improve fine motor skills and hand grip strength in children with hemiparetic cerebral palsy