title: Efficacy of forced-use therapy in hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the efficacy of forced-use therapy (FUT) on the improvement of upper-extremity function in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient ambulatory clinic in South Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients with hemiplegic CP were assigned to the FUT group (n=18) or to the control group (n=13). The mean age of the patients in the FUT group was 33.2 months and in the control group it was 43.2 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  The FUT group wore a short-arm Scotchcast on the unaffected arm for 6 weeks and also participated in a conventional rehabilitation program that included stretching exercises and functional occupational therapy for the upper extremity. The control group underwent the conventional rehabilitation program only.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hand function tests, including the box and block test (BBT), Erhardt Developmental Prehension Assessment (EDPA), and WeeFIM instrument taken before and after 6 weeks of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before treatment, there was no significant difference between groups in the BBT, EDPA, and WeeFIM scores. After 6 weeks of treatment, however, the FUT group showed significant improvement in the affected arm in the BBT and EDPA scores, compared with the control group (P<.05). The self-care score on the WeeFIM was also significantly improved in the FUT group (P<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FUT combined with a conventional rehabilitation program appears to be more effective than a rehabilitation program alone in improving affected hand function in children with hemiplegic CP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. iysung@amc.seoul.kr
authors.forename: In-Young
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Ju-Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Sung-Bom
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Pyun
authors.forename: Seung-Don
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Woo-Hyun
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Mi-Jeong
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D002370:Casts, Surgical; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D016896:Treatment Outcome