The effects of vestibular rehabilitation on preterm children with spastic hemiparetic cerebral palsy: Case report

Abstract

Introduction

Cerebral Palsy (CP), a common neurodevelopmental disorder, impacts the developing brain and leads to motor, postural, and sensory impairments in children. Since sensory processing, especially vestibular input, is crucial for balance, coordination, and movement quality, this case report aimed to investigate the effects of vestibular rehabilitation on muscle tone, motor function, and development in two preterm children with spastic hemiparetic CP.

Materials and methods

Demographic information and birth history were recorded, and assessments were conducted at the beginning and end of the 10-week vestibular rehabilitation program. Muscle tone was evaluated using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), while motor development was measured with the Denver II Developmental Screening Test (DDST II) and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS).

Results

After the 10-week vestibular rehabilitation program, both cases showed improvement on the DDST II: the first case in fine motor-adaptive, language, and gross motor areas; the second in personal-social, language, and gross motor areas. Upper extremity hypertonus scores decreased by 2 and 3 points, and lower extremity hypertonus by 5 points in each case. Additionally, total AIMS scores increased from 22 to 28 in the first case and from 16 to 23 in the second.

Conclusions

This case report suggests that vestibular rehabilitation may be beneficial in improving motor function and reducing hypertonus in preterm infants with spastic CP. These positive findings indicate that incorporating vestibular rehabilitation could enhance outcomes in the rehabilitation of children with CP.