Jenita Jona James

• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences
• Analysis of the effect of upper limb functional taping on hand function in children with hemiplegia

Cerebral palsies are a group of neurological disorders causing movement impairments, due to damage to the developing brain.  Hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP) predominantly involves one side of the body, often affecting hand function. Daily tasks using both hands are more difficult, so requires early intervention to improve hand function. We researched the efficacy of applying elastic sports tape to the affected limb of children with HCP to determine whether it increases awareness and usage of the affected hand. Affected hand function was recorded during spontaneous play using the Assisting Hand Assessment. We also annotated the videos to compare duration of desired movement behaviour with and without the tape, and analysed using Matlab software. The results show increased time looking at the affected hand, reduced time of thumb in palm but no change in duration touching toys. Further investigation will assess whether hand use improves after sustained use of elastic taping.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Supervisor: Dr Anna Basu, Dr Jill Cadwgan