Technology–Based Rehabilitation Interventions for Children with Cerebral Palsy in Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): A Scoping Review

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) affects approximately 1.6 per 1,000 children globally. In Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), children with CP face significant barriers to rehabilitation. Emerging technology-based interventions such as 3D printing, virtual reality (VR), and telerehabilitation offer innovative, cost-effective solutions for resource-constrained settings.Objective: This scoping review explored technology-based motor rehabilitation interventions for children with CP in LMICs, identifying implementation locations, challenges, and opportunities.Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus (2015–2026) identified studies on technology-based motor rehabilitation for children with CP in World Bank–defined LMICs. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, two independent reviewers screened studies and extracted data on intervention types, outcomes, and LMIC implementation factors, resolving discrepancies by consensus.Results: From 2,046 screened titles, 18 studies were included across Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Interventions featured Kinect® therapy, augmented reality, Wii® exergaming, robotic-assisted gait training, biosensor-driven mechatronic devices with 3D-printed parts, and community-led telerehabilitation. Key challenges included high equipment costs, rural poverty, hardware instability, and caregiver technological unfamiliarity or overstimulation concerns. Opportunities included heightened patient motivation, objective progress monitoring to reduce reporting bias, and reduced physical burden on staff. The SMART-CP model demonstrated that integrated telerehabilitation increases service uptake, overcoming geographical and financial barriers.Conclusions: Technology-based interventions, specifically VR, augmented reality, exergames, and telerehabilitation, show strong promise for improving motor function and engagement in children with CP in LMICs. Despite cost and accessibility hurdles, these tools represent viable, scalable solutions for expanding rehabilitation services in low-resource environments.