Abstract Background Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent disorders affecting movement and posture due to non-progressive damage to the developing brain. Spastic CP, the most common type, is characterized by impaired motor control, coordination, and functional independence. Primitive reflexes often persist in children with CP, interfering with voluntary motor functions and hindering development. Reflex Integration Approach (RIA) focuses on integrating primitive reflexes through sensory-motor exercises, while Play Therapy (PT) structured and engaging activities to promote motor, cognitive, and sensory development. Both approaches aim to improve functionality in children with CP. Aims& objective This study aims to determine the effectiveness of Reflex Integration Approach and Play therapy on functionality in patients with spastic CP. Methodology It is a pre-post comparative study in which patients with spastic CP with age of 3-7 years old were included according to selection criteria. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: Group A (n=12) received Reflex Integration approach and Group B (n=12) underwent Play Therapy. Both groups participated in 40-minute sessions, 4 days per week, for 6 weeks. The WeeFIM scale was used to assess functionality. Result Within-group analysis using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed significant within-group improvements in self-care, mobility domains for both groups (p<0.05) and cognitive domain for play therapy group. Between group analysis using Mann-Whitney U test revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups, with Play Therapy showing greater improvements in all the domains of WeeFIM (p<0.05). Conclusion Both Reflex Integration Approach and Play Therapy are effective in improving functionality in children with spastic CP. However, Play Therapy was more effective for enhancing self-care, cognitive abilities, and gross motor function and mobility. A combination of these approaches may yield optimal outcomes in pediatric neurorehabilitation.
Patel et al. (Thu,) studied this question.