Effects of Motor Imagery and Action Observation on Motor Function in Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Bahçeşehir University
- Where
- Türkiye1 site in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
- Trial code
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 48 people, planned
- Started
- 15 May 2026
- Planned end
- Oct 2026
- Type of study
- Interventional, 3 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- motor imagery
- Action observation therapy
- Conventional physiotherapy group
- Record updated
- 28 May 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 7 years to 16 years
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 15 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Being between 7 and 16 years of age
- Having a diagnosis of unilateral cerebral palsy made by a pediatric neurologist
- Being classified at levels I-II of the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS)
- Scoring above 24 on the Mini-Mental State Examination for Children
- Having no cognitive impairments (i.e., possessing an appropriate cognitive level to follow task instructions)
- Willingness to participate in the study (child and family)
- Being classified at levels I-III of the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) -Being classified at levels I-III of the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) -
Who cannot take part
- Children who have received motor imagery training or action observation therapy within the last 6 months
- Having undergone orthopedic surgery or botulinum toxin (Botox) treatment within the last 6 months
- Children with uncontrolled seizures
- Children with contractures
- Children with severe visual and/or hearing impairments
- Being classified at levels III, IV, or V according to the GMFCS
- Scoring below 24 on the Mini-Mental State Examination for Children
- Being classified at levels IV-V of the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS)
Check if you might fit
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 7 and 16 years old?
This trial has no sites in United States.
It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of action observation therapy and motor imagery methods, provided in addition to a conventional physiotherapy and rehabilitation program, on gross motor function, upper and lower extremity functional skills, and quality of life in children with cerebral palsy.
The 3 groups in the trial
- Motor Imagery GroupExisting treatment, for comparison
Mental imagery practice will be applied in addition to conventional physiotherapy. A total of 10 movements supporting activities of daily living, including unimanual and bimanual upper extremity activities, walking, and balance activities, will be practiced from both first-person and third-person perspectives. The intervention will be administered for 50 minutes per session, twice a week, for 8 weeks. The intervention protocol will consist of 20 minutes of conventional physiotherapy followed by 30 minutes of motor imagery practice.
Treatment: motor imagery
- Action Observation Therapy Group:Existing treatment, for comparison
Action observation therapy will be applied in adition to conventional physiotherapy. A total of 10 movements supporting activities of daily living, including unimanual and bimanual upper extremity activities, walking, and balance activities, will be practiced. In action observation therapy, after participants observe the movement (observation phase), they will be asked to imitate the observed movement (execution phase). The intervention will be administered for 50 minutes per session, twice a week, for 8 weeks. The intervention protocol will consist of 20 minutes of conventional physiotherapy followed by 30 minutes of action observation therapy.
Treatment: Action observation therapy
- Conventional physiotherapy groupExisting treatment, for comparison
Conventional physiotherapy training will be structured according to the child's symptoms and needs, and will consist of stretching, strengthening, normal walking training, postural control training, and weight-bearing training in different positions (sitting, standing, side-lying, prone).
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Investigation of the Effects of Motor Imagery and Action Observation Therapy on Gross Motor Function, Upper Extremity Functional Skills, Activity, and Participation in Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
- Fit questions
- Built from NCT07612371, who can take part
- Record updated
- 28 May 2026