Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41050623›Full record

ReviewDigital health

Home-based telerehabilitation for pediatric neurological motor disorders: Current trends and future perspectives. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Valeria Calcaterra, Luca Marin, Luca Guardamagna, Alessandro Gatti, Virginia Rossi, Pamela Patanè, Matteo Vandoni, Gianvincenzo Zuccotti

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Valeria CalcaterraPediatric and Adolescent Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2137-5974
Luca MarinLaboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4185-7428
Luca GuardamagnaLaboratory for Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Surgery (LAROS), Department of Clinical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0738-9712
Alessandro GattiLaboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6628-7938
Virginia RossiPediatric Department, Buzzi Children's Hospital, Milan, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8363-9210
Pamela PatanèLaboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Matteo VandoniLaboratory of Adapted Motor Activity (LAMA), Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic Science, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3405-9364
Gianvincenzo ZuccottiPediatric Department, Buzzi Children's Hospital, Milan, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2795-9874

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Telerehabilitation is a rapidly growing area within telehealth, providing clinical rehabilitation services through telecommunication technologies to enhance accessibility, improve care quality, and support patient functionality. Pediatric motor rehabilitation has gained increasing recognition for its vital role in promoting neuromotor development, coordination, and independence in children with congenital or acquired motor disabilities. This systematic review analyzed home-based telerehabilitation interventions for pediatric neurological motor disorders, from the neonatal period onward, aiming to outline current trends and future directions. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across Medline, EBSCO, and Web of Science, covering records up to February 2025. Peer-reviewed articles were included without restrictions on study design. The focus was on pediatric and adolescent populations with neurodevelopmental or neuromuscular disorders undergoing telerehabilitation or remote rehabilitative interventions. Results: The findings support the potential efficacy of tele-neurorehabilitation in improving motor outcomes, with promising results for children with cerebral palsy and hemiplegia. Interventions were shown to enhance motor function (SMD = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.72), range of motion (SMD = 0.31; 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.51), and walking ability (SMD = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.46), suggesting that remote rehabilitation can be an effective complement or alternative to traditional in-person therapy in pediatric care. Moreover, beyond functional improvements, several studies reported positive effects on children's quality of life, highlighting the broader psychosocial benefits of remote interventions. Conclusions: These results underscore the holistic value of telerehabilitation, reinforcing its role as a comprehensive and accessible strategy in pediatric rehabilitation services. Multidimensional assessments are essential to capture the broader benefits of telerehabilitation and to guide the development of more holistic, child- and family-centered care models.

Indexed as

adolescentchildhome care servicesmotor activityneurologic disorderspediatricstelemedicineTelerehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID41050623
PMCPMC12495214

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.