Can video games rebuild arm strength in cerebral palsy?

NCT ID NCT04147468

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused This study
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 25, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This pilot study tests whether virtual reality games or functional strength training can improve arm function in children with cerebral palsy. Ten participants will be randomly assigned to one of two home-based interventions, each lasting six weeks. Researchers will measure changes in arm movement, fine motor skills, daily hand use, and brain activity to see which approach offers greater benefits.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Virtual reality games (Super Pop VR) and functional strength training
What this could lead to
If effective, these home-based interventions could offer new ways to improve arm function and daily hand use in children with cerebral palsy.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with only 10 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The interventions may not produce significant improvements, and individual responses can vary.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 10 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Aug 2019

Expected to finish

Aug 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

6 to 30 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * children with spastic CP are between ages 5-18 years; adults with spastic CP are between 19-30 years * diagnosed with spastic CP * have a Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) level I-III * able to sit with trunk supported * are able to reach forward for more than half of their arm length * are able to follow three-step commands * are able to see video screen (with or without corrected vision); and * their primary caregiver is willing to follow the desired intervention "dosing" and all evaluation measurements, including MRI. Exclusion Criteria: * they have received surgery or botulinum toxin type A injection in the training arm within the preceding 4 months or are scheduled to receive it during the planned study period, or * if they have a severe attention deficit or uncontrolled epilepsy which may possibly be triggered by the light or sound of the virtual reality games.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Cerebral palsy are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Georgia State University

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30303, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.