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Not yet recruitingNCT07827404Updated Sep 18, 2026

VR Versus Plyometric Exercise on Lower Limb Motor Control and Balance in Spastic Hemiplegic Children

An interventional study of Virtual reality (VR) and Plyometric exercises in Cerebral Palsy, sponsored by October 6 University. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 12 Years to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-18.

Sponsored by October 6 University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
44
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
12 Years to 18 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

To investigate and compare the effect of Virtual reality and Polymetric exercises on balance, selectivity of the lower extremity and quality of life in children with spastic cerebral palsy. BACKGROUND:

Cerebral palsy (CP) can cause a variety of musculoskeletal issues that impact everyday functioning and activities including reduced balance and selective motor control thus improving balance, selective motor control, and quality of life represents a primary goal of pediatric rehabilitation. Various therapeutic interventions have been introduced to enhance lower limb function however, evidence comparing the effectiveness of different treatment approaches remains limited.

Read the detailed description

To investigate and compare the effect of Virtual reality and Polymetric exercises on balance, selectivity of the lower extremity and quality of life in children with spastic cerebral palsy. BACKGROUND:

Cerebral palsy (CP) can cause a variety of musculoskeletal issues that impact everyday functioning and activities including reduced balance and selective motor control thus improving balance, selective motor control, and quality of life represents a primary goal of pediatric rehabilitation. Various therapeutic interventions have been introduced to enhance lower limb function however, evidence comparing the effectiveness of different treatment approaches remains limited.

Hypothesis

This study hypothesized that:

there is no difference between the effect of virtual reality and polymetric exercises on balance, selective motor control in lower extremity and quality of life in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

RESEARCH QUESTION:

Is there difference between the effect of virtual reality and polymetric exercises on balance, selective motor control in lower extremity and quality of life in children with spastic cerebral palsy?

02

Conditions studied

  • Cerebral Palsy

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03

In context

Cerebral Palsy

1,936 studies on the registry are indexed under Cerebral Palsy; 458 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 44 is above the median of 34 across 1,431 interventional studies indexed under Cerebral Palsy.

Browse Cerebral Palsy studies →

Lead sponsor

October 6 University is the lead sponsor of 148 studies on the registry; 34 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
12 Years to 18 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

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.

Inclusion criteria

  • children with cerebral palsy,
  • Age will range as (12:18) years old
  • spastic cerebral palsy
  • level I-II on the GMFCS
  • The child can stand alone.
  • The child is over one meter tall.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • difficulty to communicate or to understand program instructions
  • surgery/Botox injection during the last 6 months in the lower extremity
  • uncontrolled severe seizures
  • fixed deformities in the affected side;
  • Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
44 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Virtual reality

    Virtual reality (VR) will be used as an interactive, task-oriented intervention to improve lower-limb motor function and functional mobility. Participants will perform virtual activities involving weight shifting, stepping, squatting, reaching with the lower limbs, balance control, and multidirectional movements. The tasks will require repetitive and goal-directed lower-limb movements within an immersive or interactive virtual environment. Task difficulty will be progressively adjusted according to each participant's functional ability by modifying movement speed, range, task complexity, or level of challenge. Visual and auditory feedback provided by the VR system will be used to facilitate movement accuracy, postural control, and active participation. All VR training will be performed under the supervision of a physiotherapist to ensure appropriate and safe execution of the activities.

    Device: Virtual reality (VR)

  • Experimental
    Polymetric exercises

    Plyometric exercises will be incorporated to improve lower-limb explosive strength, power, and neuromuscular performance. Participants will perform progressive, rapid stretch-shortening cycle exercises involving jumping, hopping, and landing activities. Exercises will include bilateral and unilateral jumps, forward and lateral hops, and repeated squat jumps, according to the participant's functional ability. Exercise intensity and complexity will be progressively increased by modifying the jumping distance, height, speed, or number of repetitions. Proper landing technique and controlled lower-limb alignment will be emphasized throughout the training to ensure safe and effective performance.

    Other: Plyometric exercises

Interventions

  • DeviceVirtual reality (VR)

    Virtual reality (VR) will be used as an interactive, task-oriented intervention to improve lower-limb motor function and functional mobility. Participants will perform virtual activities involving weight shifting, stepping, squatting, reaching with the lower limbs, balance control, and multidirectional movements. The tasks will require repetitive and goal-directed lower-limb movements within an immersive or interactive virtual environment. Task difficulty will be progressively adjusted according to each participant's functional ability by modifying movement speed, range, task complexity, or level of challenge. Visual and auditory feedback provided by the VR system will be used to facilitate movement accuracy, postural control, and active participation. All VR training will be performed under the supervision of a physiotherapist to ensure appropriate and safe execution of the activities.

  • OtherPlyometric exercises

    Plyometric exercises will be incorporated to improve lower-limb explosive strength, power, and neuromuscular performance. Participants will perform progressive, rapid stretch-shortening cycle exercises involving jumping, hopping, and landing activities. Exercises will include bilateral and unilateral jumps, forward and lateral hops, and repeated squat jumps, according to the participant's functional ability. Exercise intensity and complexity will be progressively increased by modifying the jumping distance, height, speed, or number of repetitions. Proper landing technique and controlled lower-limb alignment will be emphasized throughout the training to ensure safe and effective performance.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Biodex

    The Biodex Balance System will be used to assess dynamic postural stability using the Overall Stability Index (OSI). Participants will stand barefoot on the platform with the feet positioned according to the standardized protocol and will be instructed to maintain their balance while the platform moves unpredictably in multiple directions. The test will be performed under standardized conditions, with the participant instructed to maintain the center of balance within the target area throughout the assessment. The OSI will be recorded as an indicator of overall postural stability, with higher OSI values indicating greater instability and poorer balance control.

    Time frame: three months

  2. Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity (SCALE)

    The Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity (SCALE) will be used to assess selective voluntary motor control of the lower extremities. The assessment will evaluate the participant's ability to perform isolated movements of the hip, knee, ankle, and toes while minimizing compensatory movements at the adjacent joints. Each movement will be demonstrated and the participant will be instructed to perform it actively and selectively. Each component will be scored according to the standardized SCALE scoring criteria, with higher scores indicating better selective motor control of the lower extremity.

    Time frame: three months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory CP Module.

    The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Cerebral Palsy Module (PedsQL CP Module) will be used to assess health-related quality of life in children with cerebral palsy. The module will evaluate cerebral palsy-specific aspects of the child's physical, emotional, social, and functional well-being. Items will be rated using the standardized response scale, and scores will be calculated according to the PedsQL scoring guidelines. Higher scores will indicate better health-related quality of life.

    Time frame: three months

07

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Start is estimated for Sep 2026; primary completion for Jan 2027, 4 months later.

Of 902 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Cerebral Palsy, half reached primary completion within 12 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 31. This study's planned 4 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 921 studies reached it within 12 months; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 31.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Sep 14, 2026
First posted
Sep 18, 2026
StartEst.
Sep 20, 2026
Primary completionEst.
Jan 30, 2027
CompletionEst.
Feb 15, 2027
Last update
Sep 18, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 18, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07827404
Responsible party
Lama Saad El-Din Mahmoud (Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery Faculty of Physical Therapy October 6 University, October 6 University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 18, 2026
Start date
Sep 20, 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Jan 30, 2027 (estimated)
Completion
Feb 15, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 18, 2026

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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