Author: Ketelaar, M, Vermeer A, 't Hart H, van Petegem Beek E, Helders P.
Source: Physical Therapy, Vol 81 No 9, September 2001: 1534-1545.
This study, conducted in the Netherlands, compares the effectiveness of different approaches to physical therapy intervention for children with cerebral palsy. The investigators compared " neurophysiological approaches" that focus on normalizing the quality of movement with "functional approaches" that focus on the practice of functional activities. NDT and Vojta are examples of the neurophysiological approaches most frequently used by therapists in this study. The functional therapy focused on individual problematic activities or functional tasks identified by the parents and child. The tasks were broken down into simpler tasks and then practiced, gradually making the task more difficult as the child gained skill. Fifty-five children ages 2-7 were assigned to either a neurophysiological group or a functional therapy group. Follow-up assessments were conducted after 6 months, twelve months and 18 months of therapy. Outcomes following therapy suggested that the children in both groups made significant gains based on scores on the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) but the functional therapy group performed better on the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI).
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