title: Immediate Effect of Training at the Onset of Reaching in Preterm Infants: Randomized Clinical Trial.
abstract: The authors' aim was to investigate the immediate effect of a single specific training session (serial varied practice), of short duration on the kinematic parameters of reaching, in the period of the emergence of the skill in preterm and low birth weight infants. The study included 16 infants of both sexes, born at a mean gestational age of 32.13 (±1.36) weeks and mean birth weight of 1720.94 (±358.46) g. The infants were randomly divided into 2 groups: experimental and control. The experimental group was given a 5-min training session in reaching, while the control group received no training. The results showed significant differences in peak velocity in the intra (Z = -2.10, p = .036) and intergroup (U = 9.00, p = .016) evaluations, which decreased in the experimental group after training. Cohen's d test for clinical relevance suggested that the specific, short duration training proved effective in promoting slower reaches, with greater adjustment and lower number of units of movement. These results are positive for preterm infants given that these parameters more closely resemble the typical development of mature reaching behaviors in term infants, which suggests that this protocol of reaching training (serial varied practice) could be used as an evidence-based intervention strategy.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Applied Physiotherapy , Health Sciences Institute, Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro , Uberaba , Minas Gerais , Brazil.
authors.forename: Elaine Leonezi
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Eloisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tudella
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology
keywords: kinematics; preterm infant; reaching; training