Impact of Mental Imagery Training on the Upper Limb Functions and Motor Skills in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Background: Children with cerebral palsy due to limitations in movement are dependent on others in terms of mobility and self-care. These limitations affect their participation in daily life and its quality.Objective: This study aimed to determine the impact of mental imagery training on the upper limb functions and motor skills in children with cerebral palsy.Method: Twenty children with cerebral palsy were selected from Tavana Rehabilitation Center in Tabriz city using a convenience sampling method and were randomly divided into two groups: mental imagery and control. The subjects of the mental imagery group were trained by mental imagery and subjects of the control group did not receive any training. Lincoln-Oseretsky development scale was used for collecting data from the subjects. Results: The results of the covariance test indicated that mental imagery teaching can cause the improvement of upper limb functions and motor skills in children with cerebral palsy (p