Monday, August 24, 2015

Video Game Treatment for Kids with Developmental Disabilities

Single group

Upper-Limb Rehabilitation with Adaptive Video Games for Preschool Children with Developmental Disabilities

Hsieh HC, Lin HY, Chiu WH, Meng LF & Liu CK.

American Journal of Occupational Therapy 2015 Jul-Aug;69(4):6904290020p1-5.

doi: 10.5014/ajot.2015.014480.

Link to abstract: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26114467

Objective: For children with developmental disabilities, does active video game play, compared before and after the intervention, increase motor function and visual-motor integration?

Method: 20 children with developmental disability (Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (VMI) score of less than 80) played a novel video game for 30 minutes, 3 times a week for 5 weeks. Before and after, the children were scored on VMI and the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale – 2 (PDMS-2).

Findings: Game play had a positive and significant effect on visual-motor integration as measured by the VMI, and on motor function as measured on the fine motor quotient, gross motor quotient and total motor quotient subscales of the PDMS-2.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Measuring Upper Extremity Function - Systematically

Systematic Review

Upper limb function evaluation scales for individuals with cerebral palsy: A systematic review

Journal of Physical Therapy Science 27:1617 – 1620, 2015.

Santos, C. A., Franco de Moura, R. C., Lazzari, R. D., Dumont, A. J., Braun, L. A. & Oliveira, C. S.

Link to full text: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC448345

Objective: What is the state of the evidence for scales and methods used to evaluate upper extremity function in cerebral palsy?

Method: Two reviewers independently assessed randomized controlled (RCT) trial articles published between 2006 and 2014. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDRO) scale was used to evaluate studies to see if there is sufficient accompanying information for (internal) validity and for the reader to interpret and reproduce results.

Findings: Five studies achieved 6/10 “good” or higher on PEDRO (1 – 9/10, 1 – 8/10, 2 – 7/10, 1 – 6/10). The various studies analyzed:

  • Quality Upper Extremity Skill Test and the Besta scale (Fedrizzi et al.)
  • Upper Extremity Functional Test and Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2), Xu et al.
  • PDMS-2, Bruninks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and Pediatric Motor Activity Log, Lin et al.
  • Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function, Koman et al.
  • Redman et al. used the Pediatric Quality of Life Scale.

"…no consensus has been reached on the most appropriate scale or which has ideal clinical applicability to this population".

References
PEDRO www.pedro.org.au/

Fedrizzi E, Rosa-Rizzotto M, Turconi AC, et al. : GIPCI Study Group: Unimanual and bimanual intensive training in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy and persistence in time of hand function improvement: 6-month follow-up results of a multisite clinical trial. J Child Neurol, 2013, 28: 161–175. [PubMed]

Xu K, Wang L, Mai J, et al. : Efficacy of constraint-induced movement therapy and electrical stimulation on hand function of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy: a controlled clinical trial. Disabil Rehabil, 2012, 34: 337–346. [PubMed]

Lin KC, Wang TN, Wu CY, et al. : Effects of home-based constraint-induced therapy versus dose-matched control intervention on functional outcomes and caregiver well-being in children with cerebral palsy. Res Dev Disabil, 2011, 32: 1483–1491. [PubMed]

Koman LA, Smith BP, Williams R, et al. : Upper extremity spasticity in children with cerebral palsy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the short-term outcomes of treatment with botulinum A toxin. J Hand Surg Am, 2013, 38: 435–46.e1. [PubMed]

Redman TA, Finn JC, Bremner AP, et al. : Effect of upper limb botulinum toxin-A therapy on health-related quality of life in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. J Paediatr Child Health, 2008, 44: 409–414.[PubMed]

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Down syndrome and VR effectiveness

Systematic Review

Motor Learning and Virtual Reality in Down Syndrome: A Literature Review

Del Ciello de Menezes, L., Massetti, T., Olivereira, F. R., de Abreu, L., C., Herrero, D., Malheiros, S. R. P., Trevizan, I. L., Moriyama, C. H. & de Mello Monteiro, C. B.

International Archives of Medicine, 8:119 2015.

DOI:10.3823/1718

Link to full text: www.imed.pub/ojs/index.php/iam/article/download/1157/945

Objective: In children with Down syndrome, do virtual reality games result in positive outcomes compared with conventional therapy interventions?

Method: Literature search results were screened and full texts were read by two reviewers. Of 194 studies, 7 articles were selected; 5 studies analyzed Down syndrome and motor learning, and 2, Down syndrome and virtual reality. Three studies had PEDRO (Physiotherapy Evidence Database http://www.pedro.org.au/ ) scores of 6/10 "good", three had 5/10 and one had 4/10 "fair".

Findings: "The motor learning in individuals with Down syndrome… is more effective in the presence of visual feedback and self-control. Individuals with Down syndrome respond positively and effectively…when stimulated with different and complementary tasks to conventional therapy".