Sensor study asks: how does constraint therapy rewire arm muscles in cerebral palsy?
NCT ID NCT03099993
First seen Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Children with unilateral cerebral palsy often rely on their stronger arm, leaving the weaker arm underused. Constraint-induced therapy forces them to use the weaker arm for hours a day over several weeks, and clinical tests show it improves movement. This study uses wearable sensors to measure muscle activity and arm motion in 28 children aged 6 to 17 during the therapy. Researchers want to understand which muscle problems the therapy changes, so they can find ways to make it more effective.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- constraint-induced movement therapy, a program that pushes children to use their weaker arm
- What this could lead to
- If researchers learn which muscle problems the therapy changes, they could pair it with treatments that relax stiff muscles or build strength, making therapy work better for children with unilateral cerebral palsy.
- What could go wrong
- The study is small and observational, so it can only suggest how the therapy works, not prove it. Results may not apply to all children with cerebral palsy, and the sensors may miss some changes.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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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
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28 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Mar 2017
- Finished
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Apr 2019
- Lead sponsor
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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
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6 to 17 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Participants (excluding healthy volunteers) must have hemiparesis. * Children must be between 6 and 17 years of age. The protocol requires a minimum concentration difficult to obtain for children under 6 years. * Participants must be enrolled in a health insurance plan. Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to understand or follow instructions during 1h30. * Physical incapacity to carry out the requested movements
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
CHU de Nantes
Nantes, 46208, France
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Intensive hand therapy shows promise for children with one-sided cerebral palsy
- Can a digital mirror help kids with One-Sided weakness move better?
- Mind over movement: new therapy uses imagination to help kids with CP
- Pirate-Themed therapy goes hybrid: can home sessions help kids with cerebral palsy?
- New home therapy program for Stroke-Affected infants gets spanish adaptation