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Recruiting NCT06658236

Upper Extremity Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation and Chest Expansion Exercises in Cerebral Palsy

No phase Interventional Cerebral Palsy

For patients and families

In plain language

An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.

What is being studied
The protocol lists: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, Chest Expansion Exercises.
Who it may be relevant to
Registry conditions: Cerebral Palsy. Basic parameters: No limits · All.
What needs checking
Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
Where it takes place
Pakistan
Next step
Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Official title

Comparative Effects of Upper Extremity Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation and Chest Expansion Exercises on Thoracic Mobility in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Overview

Thoracic mobility is the mobility of the thoracic spine, and the rib cage is often measured by the degree of thorax expansion during breathing. Thoracic mobility is affected by many reasons, such as breathing mechanics, muscle stiffness, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor posture. The risk of respiratory illness should be assessed in all individuals with Cerebral palsy. Poor mobility of the thoracic will lead to limited breathing capacity and difficulty in daily life activities. Increasing thoracic mobility enhances dynamic alignment and functional movement. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) of upper extremity and chest expansion exercise can improve thoracic mobility. In this method, a physiotherapeutic approach is used in muscle strengthening, lengthening, and endurance training. The study aims to analyze the effect of an upper limb training program based on PNF techniques and chest expansion exercises on the thoracic mobility of a cerebral palsy patient.

Detailed description

The current study will be a randomized control trial; data will be collected from the Lahore Garrison Institute of Special Education. The study will include 14 patients who are equally divided into two groups and randomly allocated. Inclusion criteria for the study will be either gender of CP patients at Gross Motor Function Classification System level I to III, who had no orthopedic surgery in the last 6 months and have a diagnosis of CP by doctors. Patients with scoliosis and any acute or current respiratory infection or other respiratory conditions, such as asthma or influenza, will be excluded from the study. One experimental group will perform upper extremity PNF combined with elastic resistance bands; the other group will perform chest expansion exercises, which are upper extremity flexion, abduction, and external rotation exercises with an elastic band. The outcomes to be analyzed will be thoracic mobility. Data collection will be done before and after the intervention. Tools used for data collection will be Brompton BPAT breathing pattern assessment tool (BPAT) and chest cirtometry. Data will be analyzed through SPSS version 23.00.

Interventions

  • Other Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation
    Group A will follow a PNF-based training protocol to enhance strength, flexibility, and coordination. The exercises include two main movement patterns: flexion-abduction-external rotation with the elbow extended and extension-adduction-internal rotation with the elbow extended. These patterns target the muscles around the shoulder and upper chest. A yellow Thera-Band adds light resistance, increasing muscle engagement. The protocol also employs the reversal of antagonists technique, alternating
  • Other Chest Expansion Exercises
    Group B participants followed a breathing-coordinated exercise protocol using a yellow Thera-Band to improve upper extremity function. The protocol began with subjects breathing generally at rest. They were then instructed to synchronize their movements with their breathing: performing upper extremity flexion, abduction, and external rotation during inhalation, followed by extension, adduction, and internal rotation during exhalation. This coordination between breathing and movement aimed to enh

Primary outcome measures

  • The Brompton BPAT (Breathing Pattern Assessment Tool) [Time frame: The BPAT is completed with the patient seated comfortably in a supported chair for at least 5 minutes, with data collection taking approximately 1 minute.]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
  • Measuring tape for measuring chest expansion [Time frame: The test for measuring chest mobility using a non-stretch measuring tape typically takes about 5 to 10 minutes.]
  • Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire [Time frame: The test for assessing pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea using the symptom scale typically takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. This duration includes the time required for the caregiver or parent to respond to the 22 symptom items and any necessary]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

  • Gross Motor Function Classification System level of I to III.
  • BPAT score ≥ 4.
  • Either gender will be included

Exclusion criteria

  • Recent chest infection.
  • Children who are hospitalized
  • Scoliosis
  • No orthopedic surgery in last 6 months

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation
Randomized
Model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single blind
Primary purpose
Treatment

Study locations

Pakistan · 1 center
  • Riphah International University — Lahore

Identifiers

NCT: NCT06658236 · REC/RCR/AHS/24/Naima Khalid

Primary sources (government registries)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗