title: Two Seating Systems' Effects on an Adolescent With Cerebral Palsy and Severe Scoliosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare physiological functioning, communication switch activation, and response accuracy in a 19-year-old young man with quadriplegic cerebral palsy and neurological scoliosis using 2 seating systems within the school setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective single-subject alternating treatment design with 2 conditions: baseline phase with standard planar inserts (A1), custom-molded back with original seat (B), and return to baseline (A2). Measures included oxygen saturation (SaO2), heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), body temperature (BT), processing time to activate switches, and response accuracy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SaO2 levels increased from "distressed" to "normal"; variability decreased. HR, RR, and BT fluctuations decreased with the custom-molded back. Processing time decreased with increased variability, affected by subject's motivation; accuracy improved slightly. Reported social approachability and student-initiated communication increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SaO2 increased and HR, RR, and BT fluctuations decreased with a custom-molded back. Graphing data may help determine seating effect with complex clients.
authors.affiliation: School-Based Therapy and Resources (Dr Lephart), LLC (STARs), Culpeper, Virginia; Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science (Dr Kaplan), Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lephart
authors.forename: Sandra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D001831:Body Temperature; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D056152:Respiratory Rate; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D058992:Social Participation; D014910:Wheelchairs; D055815:Young Adult