Effects of telerehabilitation monitored home-based therapies on upper extremity function-related outcomes in children and adolescents with unilateral cerebral palsy: A systematic review.

In 30 seconds

This systematic review assessed randomized controlled trials of telerehabilitation-monitored home-based therapies for upper-extremity function in children and adolescents with unilateral cerebral palsy. Searches covered multiple databases and additional sources through October 2025; findings were synthesised narratively. Compared with control interventions, the reviewed therapies showed positive improvements across hand coordination and dexterity, bimanual function, activities-of-daily-living skills, occupational performance, and functional-goal execution. The evidence primarily concerned children and adolescents with spastic unilateral cerebral palsy. The abstract reports no pooled effect estimate or quantitative result.

Key findings

• Telerehabilitation-monitored home therapies showed positive improvements in hand coordination and dexterity compared with control interventions.
• Improvements were also reported in bimanual hand function and activities-of-daily-living motor and processing skills.
• Occupational performance and execution of functional goals improved in the reviewed studies.

Why it matters

Upper-extremity difficulties can affect daily activities in children and adolescents with unilateral cerebral palsy. The review suggests that remotely monitored home-based therapy may support several functional outcomes, including bimanual use and goal performance. This offers a relevant evidence base for considering home-based delivery, while the findings should be interpreted in light of the review’s narrative synthesis and the predominance of spastic unilateral cerebral palsy studies.

What to keep in mind

The review used narrative synthesis, and the abstract provides no pooled effect estimate. The evidence predominantly involved spastic unilateral cerebral palsy, limiting how broadly the findings may apply.