Effects of High-Intensity Circuit Training Combined with Conventional Rehabilitation on Functional Outcomes in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Children with cerebral palsy frequently experience impaired muscle strength, mobility, and functional independence. High-intensity circuit training (HICT) may complement conventional rehabilitation, although its additional benefits remain uncertain. Objective: To compare the effects of HICT combined with conventional rehabilitation versus conventional rehabilitation alone on functional outcomes in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Methods: A two-group randomized controlled trial was conducted at the National Special Education Center, Peshawar, Pakistan, from March 2022 to March 2023. Forty-six children aged 7–15 years were allocated equally to experimental and control groups (n=23 each). Interventions were delivered three times weekly for eight weeks. Outcomes included GMFM-88, 6MWT, TUG, TUDS, MAS, and MMT. Descriptive statistics and parametric or non-parametric comparisons were reported. Results: GMFM-88 scores increased by 3.57 and 3.30 percentage points in the experimental and control groups, respectively. Walking distance increased by 17.18 and 18.52 m, while TUG time decreased by 0.57 and 0.80 s, respectively. TUDS time decreased by 1.90 and 1.63 s. The descriptive between-group differences were small and varied across outcomes. Conclusion: Both rehabilitation approaches were associated with improved functional performance. The additional effectiveness of HICT over conventional rehabilitation alone could not be established from the available comparative results