title: Brain SPECT Analysis After Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy in Young Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy: Case Report.
abstract: Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) was shown recently to be promising for improving upper-limb function in children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study investigated the changes in cerebral perfusion with single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) after modified CIMT (child-friendly CIMT) in young hemiplegic girls. Two young children with left hemiplegic CP were studied with SPECT at rest before and after the CIMT period, and they also performed standardized upper motor function tests [Jebsen hand function test, quality of upper extremity skills test (QUEST), and dynamic electromyography (EMG)]. The cerebral perfusion SPECT revealed regional perfusion increase in the motor cortex area in the affected hemisphere, and the changes associated with functional gain. Our cases showed that intensive movement therapy appears to change local cerebral perfusion and SPECT could show these changes in children with hemiplegic CP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital, Namgu Daemyung 5-dong 317-1, 705-717 Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Jung
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital, Namgu Daemyung 5-dong 317-1, 705-717 Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Ah
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital, Namgu Daemyung 5-dong 317-1, 705-717 Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ju-Hye
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital, Namgu Daemyung 5-dong 317-1, 705-717 Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ihn-Ho
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Cho
keywords: CIMT; Hemiplegic cerebral palsy; SPECT