Comparison between effects of core stability training and task-oriented motor training on postural control and gross motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61581/mjsp.v7i03.409Keywords:
Cerebral palsy, Core stability training, Gross motor functions, Postural control, Task-oriented motor trainingAbstract
Objective: To compare the effects of core stability training and task-oriented motor training on postural control and gross motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy.
Methodology: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at PSSHMC Hospital, Muzaffargarh, over four months. Sixty children aged 6–9 years with spastic cerebral palsy and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Level II was randomly allocated into two groups of 30 participants. Group A received core stability training, while Group B received task-oriented motor training. Both interventions were delivered for 40–45 minutes per session, three times weekly, for six weeks. Postural control and gross motor function were assessed before and after intervention using the Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS) and Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88), respectively. Data were analysed using Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann–Whitney U tests, with statistical significance set at p<0.05.
Results: Both groups demonstrated statistically significant pre- to post-intervention changes in the assessed outcomes (p<0.05). Baseline comparisons showed no significant differences between groups in TCMS (p=0.79) or GMFM-88 scores (p=1.00). Post-intervention comparisons indicated significant between-group differences in TCMS (p=0.002) and GMFM-88 (p<0.001), with higher mean ranks reported for Group B on both outcomes.
Conclusion: Both core stability and task-oriented motor training were associated with significant changes in postural control and gross motor function among children with spastic cerebral palsy. Significant post-intervention differences were also observed between the groups. However, the direction and clinical magnitude of the comparative effects require confirmation through verification of the outcome-score coding and descriptive statistics.
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