Magic-themed motor training for daily bimanual task performance in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder of motor and postural development caused by early brain injury. This impairment poses significant challenges for daily physical tasks such as getting dressed, taking a shower, cutting food, etc. The authors of this study undertook a systematic literature review to discover what research has taken place on the effectiveness of magic-themed interventions in improving task performance in both hands in children with unilateral spastic CP.

Four experimental studies with a total of 78 participants were identified. The average age was 9 years 8 months, with 44 males and 34 females participating.

The studies found that rehabilitation techniques based on magic tricks have demonstrated significant positive effects on the daily bimanual skills of children with unilateral spastic CP. Magic-themed rehabilitation camps have shown a clear impact, which is still evident at 3 months and in some instances 6 months. Magic-based therapies implemented in home-based rehabilitation settings (through watching and imitating magic videos) have also been effective (Appendix S1).

While group interventions through in-person magic camp revealed a significant positive impact, barriers include location and cost. Home video training sessions tended to be of shorter duration compared with live training sessions. In both instances, longer total training duration improved daily hand function. Motivation and confidence are both key in facilitating these positive outcomes.