title: Twenty weeks of home-based interactive training of children with cerebral palsy improves functional abilities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Home-based training is becoming ever more important with increasing demands on the public health systems. We investigated whether individualized and supervised interactive home-based training delivered through the internet improves functional abilities in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty four children with CP (aged 9-16; mean age 10.9 ± 2.4 years) (GMFCS I-II; MACS I-II) were included in this non-randomized controlled clinical training study. 12 children (aged 7-16; mean age: 11.3+/-0.9 years) were allocated to a control group in which measurements were performed with 20 weeks interval without any intervening training. Daily activities, functional abilities of upper- and lower limbs, and balance were evaluated before, immediately after training and 12 weeks after training. The training consisted of 30 min daily home-based training for 20 weeks delivered through the internet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The training group on average completed 17 min daily training for the 20 week period (total of 40 h of training). The training group showed significant improvements of daily activities (AMPS), upper limb function (AHA) and functional tests of lower limbs (sit to stand, lateral step up, half knee to standing) after 20 weeks of training. No difference was found between the test after 20 weeks of training and the test 12 weeks after training. No significance was reached for balance after training. No difference was found for any parameter for the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interactive home training of children with CP is an efficient way to deliver training, which can enable functional motor improvements and increased activity to perform daily activities.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ISRCTN13188513 . Date of registration: 04/12/2014.
authors.affiliation: The Helene Elsass Center, Holmegårdsvej 28, 2900, Charlottenlund (Copenhagen), Denmark. jlo@elsasscenter.dk.|Department of Exercise and Nutrition, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. jlo@elsasscenter.dk.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lorentzen
authors.affiliation: The Helene Elsass Center, Holmegårdsvej 28, 2900, Charlottenlund (Copenhagen), Denmark. LZG@elsasscenter.dk.
authors.forename: Line Z
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Greve
authors.affiliation: The Helene Elsass Center, Holmegårdsvej 28, 2900, Charlottenlund (Copenhagen), Denmark. mette.kliimdue@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kliim-Due
authors.affiliation: The Helene Elsass Center, Holmegårdsvej 28, 2900, Charlottenlund (Copenhagen), Denmark. btra@phmetropol.dk.
authors.forename: Betina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: The Helene Elsass Center, Holmegårdsvej 28, 2900, Charlottenlund (Copenhagen), Denmark. pe@elsasscenter.dk.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Bilde
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. jbnielsen@sund.ku.dk.|Department of Exercise and Nutrition, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. jbnielsen@sund.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Jens B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005121:Extremities / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome