The Effects Of Upper Extremity Robotic Rehabilitation On Upper Extremity Functions And Gait Parameters

In the researchers' words

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. When the literature is examined, although upper extremity and lower extremity involvements 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 different treatment methods have positive effects, their superiority over each other cannot be clearly reported. In this case, new intervention strategies based on sound methodological and scientific foundations are needed. At this point, virtual reality applications and robotic rehabilitation programs have started to play an important role in CP rehabilitation along with current developments in technology-assisted rehabilitation. Robotic devices provide visual, auditory and sensory inputs, making the process fun, while making the individual active in the treatment. It also enables the child to achieve goal-directed movements in children with motor disabilities. Various gait problems are seen in individuals with CP. Therefore, although lower extremity movements during walking have been well…