Italian Cp eArly REhabilitation (iCARE)
The present study aims to investigate the efficacy of play-based rehabilitation delivered as usual care in children with cerebral palsy in a rehabilitation center offering both intensive and extensive care. Up to now, few studies described and examined treatments' efficacy in this population. Secondary aim of the study will be comparing the efficacy of the two rehabilitation treatment formats (intensive vs. extensive), which will have the same dose (sessions delivered) and ingredients (content). The intervention delivered as extensive care (3 sessions per week per 15 weeks) will be offered in community rehabilitation centers (Centri di Riabilitazione-CDR), while the one delivered as intensive care (3 sessions daily per 5 days a week for 3 weeks) will be offered to children admitted to hospital inpatient care units. This comparison allows verifying if delivery time may affect outcomes.
• age between 6 months (corrected age in case of prematurity) and 5 years;
• a diagnosis of cerebral palsy due to perinatal suffering, neurological syndromes, rare diseases with neurological impairment or congenital diseases of unknown nature.