Computer Assisted REhabilitation (CARE) Lab: A novel approach towards Pediatric Rehabilitation 2.0.
Ivana Olivieri, Paolo Meriggi, Cristina Fedeli and 4 others
PMID 29630562WHAT IT FOUND
Preliminary results from six children with congenital hemiparesis showed higher upper-limb scores, greater shoulder movement, and parent-reported daily-task gains after computer-assisted sessions.
The pilot was ongoing, so this does not prove the CARE Lab works.
Key findings
01In six children with congenital hemiparesis, preliminary results showed increases in Melbourne upper-limb scores and shoulder range of motion after ten weekly computer-assisted sessions.
02Parents of four children reported improvements in zipping a jacket, putting on a backpack, and washing the upper body.
03The pilot study was ongoing, and the authors described the results as preliminary from a very small sample.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The pilot was described as ongoing, and the reported group was only six children. The paper presents preliminary results from a very small sample, not a completed efficacy trial. No control group, random allocation, or statistical significance testing is reported. The paper is partly a service and platform description, so the lab design may not be transferable to other clinics.
Declared interests
The paper is listed as supported by non-U.S. government research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the score and range-of-motion gains as proof the CARE Lab works. The pilot was ongoing, the preliminary group was six children, and the paper reports preliminary results, not a completed trial.