The effects of dosage time and frequency on motor outcomes in children with cerebral palsy: A systematic review

Purpose: Provide an updated review regarding treatment dosage for children with cerebral palsy (CP) by examining the variables of type, time, frequency, and intensity. Methods: A systematic review was performed with 30 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Two authors independently extracted data including information about risk of bias. Ten articles were included in the review. Results: Eight studies manipulated time, two studies manipulated frequency, and three studies manipulated both variables. No studies investigated intensity. Findings suggest that manipulating time and/or frequency may result in better motor function for higher total dosing; however, benefits were not consistent across studies and few showed clinically significant improvements. Conclusion: This most current evidence regarding the effect of dosage on motor function for children with CP suggests that there is insufficient evidence to support implementing high-dosage therapy. Further research is needed to clarify the relationship between dosage variables on motor function for children with CP.