OBJECTIVE: Based on the present status of development of rehabilitative treatment of cerebral palsy (CP) in domestic and abroad, to analyze the common techniques of functional rehabilitation training for patients with CP, and probe into its alternatives and applications by comparing, analyzing, synthesizing and summarizing these techniques. DATA SOURCES: Relevant literatures in Medline between January 1991 and December 2003 were searched by computer with the words of 'cerebral palsy, function training, rehabilitation', and the language was limited to English. At the same time, relevant Chinese articles in Chinese periodical full text database and Wanfang database from January 1995 to December 2005 were searched by computer with the key words of 'cerebral palsy, function training, rehabilitation' In addition, monographs about CP from 1998 to 2004 were searched manually. STUDY SELECTION: Data were retrieved in the first screening. Literatures and monographs including treatment group and control group related to CP, rehabilitation training and function were selected, and articles without relation to functional rehabilitation techniques were excluded. Full-text of the rest articles were looked for according to the inclusion criteria of whether was controlled clinical trial or related to rehabilitation training. DATA EXTRACTION: A total of 68 literatures and monographs related to rehabilitation training of CP were collected regardless of whether they were randomized designs, 15 literatures were in accordance with the inclusion criteria, 53 were excluded, 35 out of which were repetitive studies, 6 were reviews and 12 were meta analysis researches. DATA SYNTHESIS: (1) The causes of CP were complex, many diseases in pre-born period, perinatal period and post-born period can result in CP, but causes in 15 to 20% of patients with CP were not clear. (2) Treatment of CP should be comprehensive and extensive rehabilitation treatment. Patients should be treated and trained with physical therapy, occupational therapy (OT), language therapy and operative treatment. Chinese traditional medicine, etc. One of the most important methods was rehabilitative training, which based on the neurophysiologic therapy of pediatric growth neurology, motor neurology and physiology. Basic theory of rehabilitative treatment can promote the functional reconstruction of brain cells was a plastic theory of central nerve. (3) Main therapeutic methods included Vojta, Bobath, Rood, Shangtian method, guidance education, sensory integrated training and OT, etc. (4) Vojta and Bobath etc had remarkable therapeutic effects on young children with severe CP. As to older children with CP who had some motor function and good abilities in intelligence and language, training of strength, concordance and controllability should be conducted on them. Muscular controllability training had better subjective motility, which had satisfactory rehabilitative effects in strengthening the controllability of knee and pelvis as well as reinforcing the muscular power, concordance and controllability of motor. Through repetitive training and studying, correct motor procedure can form in children's brains. CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation of CP is to persistently rectify abnormal posture and exercise limbs in earlier period. The therapeutic effect of each rehabilitative technique is affirmative. However, ideal effects can only be achieved by alternatively and comprehensively applying and consolidating these techniques.

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