The Effects of Intensive Physiotherapy in Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a 2-week Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT)-based intensive physiotherapy program with active participation on postural control and selective motor control of the lower and upper extremities in children diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy. Thirty children with spastic type cerebral palsy, aged between 4 and 8 years, and classified as level II, III, or IV according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), will be included in the study. Participants will be randomized into two groups. The experimental group will receive an NDT-based intensive physiotherapy program with active participation for 2 weeks, 6 days per week, 2 sessions per day, with each session lasting 50 minutes. The control group will receive a conventional physiotherapy program for 2 weeks, 3 days per week, once per day, with each session lasting 45 minutes. Outcome measures will be assessed before and after the intervention period and will include the Seated Postural Control Measure-Function (SPCM-Function), Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity (SCALE), Selective Control of the Upper Extremity Scale (SCUES), Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL).