title: Multiple Treatments of Pediatric Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (pCIMT): A Clinical Cohort Study.
abstract: Pediatric constraint-induced movement therapy (pCIMT) is one of the most efficacious treatments for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Distinctive components of pCIMT include constraint of the less impaired upper extremity (UE), high-intensity therapy for the more impaired UE (≥ 3 hr/day, many days per week, for multiple weeks), use of shaping techniques combined with repetitive task practice, and bimanual transfer. A critical issue is whether multiple treatments of pCIMT produce additional benefit. In a clinical cohort (mean age = 31 mo) of 28 children with asymmetrical CP whose parents sought multiple pCIMT treatments, the children gained a mean of 13.2 (standard deviation [SD] = 4.2) new functional skills after Treatment 1; Treatment 2 produced a mean of 7.3 (SD = 4.7) new skills; and Treatment 3, 6.5 (SD = 4.2). These findings support the conclusion that multiple pCIMT treatments can produce clinically important functional gains for children with hemiparetic CP.
authors.affiliation: Stephanie C. DeLuca, PhD, is Director, Neuromotor Research Clinic, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, and Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; and Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation and Wellness, Jefferson College of Health Sciences, Roanoke, VA; stephdeluca@vt.edu.
authors.forename: Stephanie C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: DeLuca
authors.affiliation: Sharon Landesman Ramey, PhD, is Distinguished Scholar and Professor, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, and Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke; Professor, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; and Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke.
authors.forename: Sharon Landesman
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ramey
authors.affiliation: Mary Rebekah Trucks, OTR/L, is Research Faculty and Senior Occupational Therapist, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke.
authors.forename: Mary Rebekah
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Trucks
authors.affiliation: Dorian Ainsworth Wallace, OTR/L, is Research Faculty and Senior Occupational Therapist, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke.
authors.forename: Dorian Ainsworth
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Wallace
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D034941:Upper Extremity