Evaluation of cervical posture improvement of children with cerebral palsy after physical therapy with a HCI based on head movements and serious videogames

This paper presents the preliminary results of a novel rehabilitation therapy for cervical and trunk control of children with cerebral palsy (CP). The therapy is based on the use of an inertial sensor that will be used to control a set of serious videogames with movements of the head. Ten users with CP participated in the study, in the experimental and control groups. Ten sessions of therapy provided improvements in head and trunk control that were higher in the experimental group for Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) and Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS). Significant differences (27% vs. 2% of percentage improvement) were found between the experimental and control groups for TCMS (p < 0.05). The kinematic assessment shows that there are some improvements in active and passive range of motion, but no significant differences were found pre-and after-therapy. This new strategy, together with traditional rehabilitation therapies, could allow the child to reach maximum levels of function in the trunk and cervical regions.