Repeated Motor Training on Attention Reaching Skills and Stereotypies in Rett Syndrome

Background Few studies investigated the effect of a structured and specific training for upper limb motor skills allowing complex movements such as reaching and grasping. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the effects of motor training on attention, reaching skills, and stereotypies in patients with Rett syndrome (RTT). Methods Twenty-eight participants with RTT underwent cognitive and motor assessment to evaluate attention, reaching skills and stereotypies with an ABABABA design: before training (pre-test phase), after a month of training (post-test phase 1), after a month of the second training phase (post-test phase 2) and at 1 month after the third training phase (post-test phase 3). In all three B phases, participants received 30 minutes of motor training for 5 days a week over a 1-month period. Results Patients with RTT show long-term improvements in seconds of attention and reaching skills and decreases in the intensity of stereotypies. Conclusions This study suggests that motor abilities of participants with RTT can be improved with repeated, individual, well-structured training.