Developing a Suite of Motion-Controlled Games for Upper Extremity Training in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Aim: The Scratch programming language allows learner developers to write games. The Kinect2Scratch extension makes Scratch games with bodily motion control possible by connecting to Microsoft's Kinect sensor. This study examined the feasibility and possible efficacy of a suite of motion-controlled games designed for upper extremity (UE) training in children with cerebral palsy (CP) using Kinect2Scratch. Materials and Methods: This is a proof-of-concept study. We developed three games, requiring three UE movement patterns (shoulder holding, reaching, and handclap), for use in children with CP. The primary outcome was feasibility, addressed by adherence, engagement, satisfaction, and safety. The secondary outcome was efficacy, which was evaluated by Quality of Upper Extremities Skills Test (QUEST), Box and Block Test (BBT), Melbourne Assessment 2 (MA2) test, and ABILHAND-kids score. Results: Thirteen children with CP (mean age 6.9 years) received 24 sessions of training (30 minutes per session). The adherence rate was 100%. During the first 2 weeks of training, children had a significantly higher level of participation in Kinect2Scratch training than in conventional rehabilitation [Pittsburgh Participation Scale, median (interquartile range [IQR]), 6 (3–6) vs. 4 (3–6) P = 0.04]. However, during the last 2 weeks of training, there was no significant difference in participation between the Kinect2Scratch and conventional training [Pittsburgh Rehabilitation Participation Scale, median (IQR), 4 (3–5) vs. 4 (3–6) P = 0.55]. Most children enjoyed playing the games. The mean score of enjoyment was 4.54 ± 0.66. There were no adverse events during the training periods. The children had significant improvement in total score of QUEST and MA2. There were no significant improvements in BBT and ABILHAND-kids score. Conclusion: Using Kinect2Scratch games for UE training is a feasible adjunctive program for children with CP.