title: A comparison of intensive neurodevelopmental therapy plus casting and a regular occupational therapy program for children with cerebral palsy.
abstract: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the combined effect of intensive neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT) and casting in improving hand function, quality of upper-extremity movement and range of motion in children aged between 18 months and 4 years with cerebral palsy (CP). A randomized crossover design was used to evaluate the difference between intensive NDT plus casting and a less intensive regular occupational therapy (OT) program. Blinded assessments of hand function, quality of upper-extremity movement, and parents' perception of hand-function performance were carried out at baseline, 4 months (end of first intervention period), 6 months (after a 2-month 'washout' period), and 10 months (end of second intervention period). Analysis of the outcomes revealed no significant differences in hand function, quality of upper-extremity movement, or parents' perception of hand-function performance between the two treatment groups-intensive NDT plus casting or regular OT programs. There does not appear to be any beneficial effect of an increased amount of therapy for the children in this study.
authors.affiliation: Neurodevelopmental Clinical Research Unit, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pollock
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosenbaum
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002370:Casts, Surgical; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000379:methods*; D004856:Postural Balance; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012648:Self Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016474:Weight-Bearing; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000503:physiopathology