title: The effect of long-term conventional physical therapy and independent predictive factors analysis in children with cerebral palsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the effect of long-term conventional physical therapy (PT) on cerebral palsy (CP) children and to identify the predictors of therapy's response.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective review of CP children treated with PT, and their motor function was assessed every 3 months between 2008 and 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-six children with a mean age of 4.2 ± 2.8 years, gross motor function classification system (GMFCS) levels were level I (n = 14), level II (n = 20), level III (n = 5), level IV (n = 8), and level V (n = 9). In the generalized estimating equations model, there was a significant improvement in the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) score (p < 0.001); the improvement was different in five GMFCS levels (p < 0.001) and GMFCS level II had faster progression. The younger CP children had better PT efficacy, and the GMFM-66 score continued improving until 8.4 years old in the older group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The long-term conventional PT is effective even in older CP children, and PT was most efficient in younger children and GMFCS level II.
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Changhua Christian Hospital , Changhua , Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Nien
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Su-Fen
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Li-Fei
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Hsin-Ya
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chung-Che
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ta-Sen
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000145:classification / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome