title: Efficacy of suit therapy on functioning in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This systematic review and meta-analysis presents an overview of the efficacy of suit therapy on functioning in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP).
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted. A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed articles was performed on electronic databases, from their inception to May 2014. Studies included were rated for methodological quality using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Effects of suit therapy on functioning were assessed using meta-analytic techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the 46 identified studies, four met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. Small, pooled effect sizes were found for gross motor function at post-treatment (g=0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.10-0.82) and follow-up (g=0.47, 95% CI 0.03-0.90).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The small number of studies, the variability between them, and the low sample sizes are limitations of this review. Findings suggest that to weigh and balance benefits against harms, clinicians, patients, and families need better evidence to examine and prove the effects of short intensive treatment such as suit therapy on gross motor function in children and adolescents with CP. Therefore, more research based on high-quality studies focusing on functioning in all dimensions of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health perspective is necessary to clarify the impact of suit therapy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Motor Behavior, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Elisabete
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Motor Behavior, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.|CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cordovil
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Motor Behavior, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Saúde do Alcoitão, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Letras
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Saúde do Alcoitão, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Soraia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lourenço
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Saúde do Alcoitão, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Saúde do Alcoitão, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Saúde do Alcoitão, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Escola Superior de Saúde do Alcoitão, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Claudia R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marques
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care