VIRTUAL REALITY PRACTICE FOR MOTOR LEARNING OF CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is characterized by a group of permanent disorders of the individual's movement and posture, due to a non-progressive lesion that can occur in the fetal brain or in childhood. The main clinical manifestations can be musculoskeletal, cognitive, perceptive and motor, secondary to the injury, causing limitations in the scope of activity and participation and in the motor learning of children with this condition. Practicing activities in virtual reality (VR) environments can be of benefit to the motor learning of this population, as it is a safe environment that provides sensory experiences for the individual using the interface. The aim of this study was to describe and summarize the effects of VR practice on the motor learning of children with CP through an integrative literature review. Studies available on the PubMed, Scielo and Lilacs databases were selected using the PICOT strategy and published between 2000 and 2023. The intervention time ranged from thirty to sixty minutes and the duration of the intervention from two to twelve weeks. Non-immersive interfaces accounted for most of the findings and the device most used in the intervention protocols was the Nitendo Wii ®. Analysis of the articles showed that VR can produce positive effects on motor learning, with outcomes in functional independence, manual dexterity, gross motor function and balance, among others. Therefore, practicing with these interfaces could be a possible intervention for children with CP, with different results depending on the training objective.