An observational study in Cerebral Palsy, sponsored by Sint Maartenskliniek. Completed at 1 site in Netherlands. Open to participants aged 30 Months to 8 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-07.
Sponsored by Sint Maartenskliniek · Observational
Rationale: In 2010 Aarts developed the pirate group in which children received constrained induced movement therapy (constrained with a sling) followed by bilateral therapy. During this pirate group children were dressed as a pirate to increase motivation and to make the sling more meaningful. This pirate group had a duration of eight weeks with three times three hour training sessions each week. However, due to COVID-19 therapists were introduced to home-based rehabilitation. Therefore they developed the blended care pirate group, which is in principle the same as the pirate group of Aarts, however one training session each week is replaced by a home-based training session. It is however not yet clear how this blended care pirate group is perceived by parents and therapists.
Objective: The aim of the current study is to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of the blended care pirate group.
Study population: Children with unilateral cerebral palsy between 2.5 and 8 years old will participate. These children will participate in the blended care pirate group and are asked to participate in the study as well.
Intervention: The total duration of one blended care pirate group is eight weeks with two times three hour training sessions at the rehabilitation centre and additional training sessions at home. The training sessions on-site will be the same as the conventional pirate group. For the training sessions at home parents will receive instructions and material from the therapists. This intervention is developed and already planned by therapists without direct influence of the research department and can therefore be considered as standard treatment.
Main study parameters/endpoints: The primary outcome are the total training hours performed by parents at home. Additionally after the blended care pirate group parents and therapists will participate in an interview about how they perceived the blended care pirate group. Secondary outcomes are improvements in arm function during the blended care pirate group.
1,936 studies on the registry are indexed under Cerebral Palsy; 458 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 17 is below the median of 63 across 472 observational studies indexed under Cerebral Palsy.
Browse Cerebral Palsy studies →Sint Maartenskliniek is the lead sponsor of 29 studies on the registry; 5 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Children with unilateral cerebral palsy who are being reffered to the local rehabilitation centre to participate in the pirate group.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
During the 8-week pirate group, children will receive two times three hour training sessions. Additionally, parents are advised to practise with their child at home for three hours per week.
Behavioral: Blended care pirate group
During the blended care pirate group, children will receive training while their less affected arm is in a sling. They will perform play-like activities with their affected arm both on-site and at home.
Training hours
Training hours at home will be logged by parents. The total training hours will be compared to the advised training duration of three hours per week.
Time frame: During the 8-week intervention period
Interview with parents
After each pirate group, interviews with parents will be held about their experiences of training at home. A thematic analysis will be performed to analyse the interviews.
Time frame: After the 8-week intervention period
Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA)
The AHA will be performed to measure the arm use during bimanual activities. The scale ranges between 0-100, with a higher score meaning better arm use.
Time frame: Before and after 8-week intervention
Video observarion Aarts en Aarts - Determine Developmental Disregard - Revised (VOAA-DDD-R)
The VOAA-DDD-R measures the spontaneous arm use of the affected upper limb during two activities. During one activity it is required to use both hand, and during the second it is most efficient to use both hands. The score is the difference in arm use between the two tests. This score ranges between 0-100% with a lower score indicating better spontaneous arm use.
Time frame: Before and after 8-week intervention
Box and Block test (BBT)
This test measures the unilateral gross manual dexterity. Children have to transfer blocks for one box to the other. There is no maximum score, a higher score indicating better hand function
Time frame: Before and after 8-week intervention
Plan to share: No
Ran from Jul 2022 to primary completion in Oct 2024, 27 months.
Of 214 non-industry observational studies under Cerebral Palsy, half reached primary completion within 21 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 8 and three quarters within 60. This study's 27 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 218 studies reached it within 21 months; a quarter within 8 and three quarters within 60.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Sint Maartenskliniek