Cerebral Palsy is defined as the cause of movement and posture disorders and activity limitation that develops in the fetal or infant brain that has not yet completed its development. Although CP is the most common physical disorder in childhood, its incidence varies between 1.7-2 people per 1000 live births in developed countries. Although the impairments seen in CP are not progressive, as individuals with CP get older, their current motor function declines dramatically and their independence decreases or disappears as a result. These neurodevelopmental disorders are classified as hemiplegic, diplegic and quadriplegic according to the anatomically affected body parts. Along with motor damage, epilepsy, cognitive disorders, behavioral disorders, visual-hearing losses and sensory disorders can be seen in children with CP. In addition, upper extremity involvement is quite common in individuals with CP. Although upper extremity and lower extremity involvement are common in individuals with hemiparetic CP, treatment programs are mostly aimed at the lower extremities. However, studies report that the upper extremity is more severely affected than the lower extremities in individuals with hemiparetic CP and that upper extremity functions have an effect on walking . Although human gait is perceived as a situation that concerns only the lower extremities, it actually includes the coordinated movements of all four extremities. In a study, it was reported that it is beneficial to encourage arm movements during gait rehabilitation. It has been reported that although individuals with hemiparetic CP gain walking skills, they lag behind their peers in terms of upper extremity functions. This makes upper extremity rehabilitation important. There are various treatment modalities aimed at eliminating upper extremity dysfunction and reducing activity limitations. These; neurodevelopmental treatment approaches, orthoses, forced restrictive movement therapy, virtual reality and robotic rehabilitation applications. Although the different treatment methods have positive effects, their superiority to each other cannot be reported definitively. In this case, new intervention strategies based on sound methodological and scientific foundations are needed.
With the development of technology, the interest in robotic rehabilitation has also increased. The first study examining upper extremity robotic rehabilitation in CP was conducted in 2008. In this study, it was reported that robotic rehabilitation has positive effects on upper extremity motor functions and the use of upper extremities in daily living activities. In a thesis study conducted in our country, conventional physiotherapy and robotic rehabilitation were compared and it was concluded that hand skills improved in both groups, but the increase in the group receiving robotic rehabilitation was statistically significant. In the literature review, it was seen that studies on upper extremity robotic rehabilitation were few and their effects on gait parameters were not examined. In this context, it is thought that in our study, the effects of upper extremity robotic rehabilitation on upper extremity functions and gait parameters will be examined and it will contribute to the literature.
Method: This study was conducted to examine the effects of upper extremity robotic rehabilitation on upper extremity functions and gait parameters in individuals with hemiparetic CP; It is a prospective, randomized controlled, single-blind study. The study will be carried out in a single-blind manner, and the evaluator will not know which group the individual is in. 30 individuals with spastic hemiparetic CP, aged between 6-18 years, will be included in our study. The parents of each individual will be informed about the study and will read and sign the consent form stating that they voluntarily participated in the study.
