Improving Hand Movements in Kids With One-Sided Arm Stiffness Cerebral Palsy Through Motion Minder Therapy (MoMT)

Overview

Motion Minder Therapy is a targeted intervention for fine motor skill challenges in spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy children, emphasizing affordability, particularly in middle-income countries like India. Diverging from previous models requiring extensive daily supervision of 5 to 6 hours, Motion Minder Therapy optimizes resources by utilizing smartwatches for a focused 1-hour intervention. The study employs a Pilot phase with 5 children. Materials range from smart watch to sensory tools, offering a comprehensive approach. Statistical analysis, incorporating repeated measure ANOVA, aims to underscore Motion Minder Therapy's effectiveness in addressing the complex challenges of fine motor skill enhancement in spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

Beginning with a 5-minute Sticker Sorting exercise, the intervention aims to improve fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and cognitive abilities via the use of colorful stickers with varying sizes and textures. Children can then go on to the next activity during a quick 1-minute Rest \& Reflection phase. In the eight-minute segment Beads on Parade, participants practice bilateral hand usage, fine motor coordination, and visual-motor integration by stringing colorful beads onto threads or wires. Pegboard Activities, an 8-minute exercise that emphasizes accuracy, hand strength, and spatial awareness through the positioning of pegs onto a board with corresponding holes, is preceded by another brief reflective pause. The following five-minute Sensory Bins practice promotes tactile exploration with objects like beans or rice, developing tactile sensitivity and sensory awareness. An eight-minute session called "Sculpture Building" focuses on developing hand strength, coordination, creativity, and fine motor abilities via the creation of three-dimensional shapes using clay. A 5-minute break is followed by Finger Painting \& Drawing with Different Tools, an activity that uses a variety of painting tools to improve hand control and fine motor skills. The last part, a five-minute musical instrument play, comes after the last period of relaxation. Through tactile and aural experiences, children are encouraged to use hand to make various sounds and rhythms, encouraging bilateral coordination, fine motor control, and sensory integration.