Comparing Unimanual and Bimanual Training in Upper Extremity Function in Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.

PURPOSE This systematic review compared intensive bimanual therapy (IBT) and modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) in upper limb function in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS Four electronic databases were searched from 2009 through October 2015 for randomized control trials comparing IBT with mCIMT. RESULTS Eight articles met the inclusion criteria; 5 randomized clinical trials with 221 participants with unilateral CP, ages 1.5 to 16 years, who received the intervention in a day camp, clinical, or preschool setting were included. The IBT group performed bimanual motor activities; the mCIMT group performed unilateral motor activities. CONCLUSION There was a strong, nonspecific recommendation for either approach to improve quality of unimanual movement, bimanual capacity, and movement efficiency. There was a weak, specific recommendation for IBT in improving movement quality and a specific but weak recommendation favoring IBT to improve the child's performance on parent-reported outcomes.