Comparison of the effect of special physical training and perceptual-motor programs on gait and the gross and fine motor skills of children with cerebral palsy

Yazdani, Shirin; Aghdasi, Mohammadtaghi; Abolhassany, Nahideh; Eftekhari, Hadiseh

doi:10.22089/mbj.2025.14943.2102

Comparison of the effect of special physical training and perceptual-motor programs on gait and the gross and fine motor skills of children with cerebral palsy

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ department of motor behavior, faculty of physical education and sport science, university of Tabriz

² professor at Tabriz University

³ Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22089/mbj.2025.14943.2102

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of special physical training and perceptual-motor training programs on the spatial variables of gait (stride length, step length, and step width) and some of the gross and fine motor skills of children with cerebral palsy. This study was semi-experimental research. The statistical population of this study was the hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) children in Tabriz city. From this population, 30 children with hemiplegic CP participated in this study voluntarily and divided into three groups including (special physical training, perceptual motor training and control groups) randomly. Using Y-balance, Purdue Pegboard, camera and Kinovea software the balance, fine motor skills and spatial gait variables were measured, respectively. The data was analyzed using SPSS software and paired sample t-test, covariance, and ANOVA methods. In pretest,, there is no significant difference between gross and fine motor skills and gait variables (P≥0.05) of three groups. Covariance analysis showed that the gross and fine motor skills and gait variables were improved after training sessions (P≤0.05). The effect of perceptual motor training on the fine motor skills were greater than that of special physical training (P=0.0001) and the effects of special physical training on the balance (P=0.005) and gait variables (as gross motor skills) were more than perceptual motor training program in children with cerebral palsy (P=0.05). So, to get the best results in rehabilitation and planning an appropriate program for the CP subjects, the combination of both special physical and perceptual-motor training programs is recommended.

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