Finger exercise with keyboard playing in adults with cerebral palsy: A preliminary study

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of Therapeutic Instrument Music Performance (TIMP) for fine motor exercises in adults with cerebral palsy (CP). Individuals with CP (n = 5) received a total of twelve, 30-min TIMP sessions, two days per week for six to nine weeks. Pre- and post-Music Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) data were used as a measure of hand function. Pre-velocity was significantly different from the normative data obtained from typical adults (n = 20); however, post-velocity did not yield significance, specifically in the second and fifth fingers, indicating improvement in hand function for the adults with cerebral palsy. The finding implies that TIMP using keyboard playing may effectively improve manual dexterity and velocity of finger movement. Based on these results, future program development of instrumental playing for adults with CP is called for to enhance both their independent living skills and quality of life.