Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine

Baclofen is often considered a first-line treatment option for spasticity management in children. However, adverse effects, administration, and dosing can be barriers to effectiveness. In my practice, other medications for spasticity management are often used prior to initiating baclofen. In this article, baclofen use for spasticity management in children is briefly reviewed along with discussion of approaches using other medications as first-line treatment options. I will present a rationale for medication selection for spasticity management and discuss the approaches I take in medication selection that incorporate spasticity severity, patient goals, and medication side effect profiles...

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

PURPOSE: The current study aimed to explore Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) profiles among children with cerebral palsy (CP) at various Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels in a low-resource setting. Seventy-one ambulatory children with CP (61% males), were studied after signed informed consent was obtained from parents and assent from children older than 12 years. METHODS: Ambulatory capacity of children with CP was classified using GMFCS levels...

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine outpatient hospital utilization (number of specialties seen and number of visits to each specialty) in the year after single event multi-level surgery (SEMLS) in children with cerebral palsy (CP), and to determine if utilization differs across the medical center in the year after compared to the year before SEMLS. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study used electronic medical record data of outpatient hospital utilization in children with CP who underwent SEMLS...

PURPOSE: This study aimed to 1) investigate the convergent and discriminant validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the Canadian English version of the Computer-Based instrument for Low motor Language Testing (C-BiLLT-CAN), and 2) explore feasibility of the C-BiLLT assessment for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and complex communication needs in the Canadian health care context. METHODS: Eighty typically developing children between 1.5 and 8...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

PURPOSE: This exploratory study demonstrates the application of functionally relevant physical exercises (FRPE) to objectively assess physical functioning among children with chronic pain. Intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment (IIPT) focuses on functional improvements as a primary outcome. FRPEs aim to enhance clinical assessments and monitoring by providing relevant data for physical and occupational therapies. METHODS: Children enrolled in three weeks of IIPT provided data for study...

PURPOSE: The International Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disability created a COVID-19 Task Force with the goal of understanding the global impact of COVID-19 on children with disabilities and their families. The aim of this paper is to synthesize existing evidence describing the impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities, derived from surveys conducted across the globe. METHODS: A descriptive environmental scan of surveys was conducted. From June to November 2020, a global call for surveys addressing the impact of COVID-19 on disability was launched...

PURPOSE: Family-centered rehabilitative care optimizes outcomes for children with significant developmental disabilities. Family-centered services involve assessing family resources that promote positive developmental outcomes for children. Little is known regarding family resources in the context of caring for a child with developmental disabilities in Brazil due to an absence of validated measures. This study describes the translation and cultural adaptation of the Family Resource Scale and explored the measurement quality of the resulting measure (the Brazilian-Family Resource Scale, or B-FRS)...

PURPOSE: More than 50,000 children are hospitalized yearly in the U.S. for acquired brain injury (ABI) with no established standards or protocols for school re-entry and limited resources for hospital-school communication. While ultimately the school has autonomy over curricula and services, specialty physicians were asked about their participation and perception of barriers in the school re-entry process. METHODS: Approximately 545 specialty physicians were sent an electronic survey...

PURPOSE: This study aimed to provide a reliable and valid translation of the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22r) questionnaire, compare it with the EQ-5D-5 L questionnaire, and analyse health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with idiopathic scoliosis (IS) in Slovenia in order to potentially improve their rehabilitation processes. METHODS: A matched-case-control study was performed to assess internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, concurrent validity, and discriminative validity...

PURPOSE: Obesity prevalence and the relationship between obesity and motor function in children with ambulatory cerebral palsy (CP) were investigated. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. The obesity profile of 75 children aged 2-18 years with ambulatory CP was investigated. GMFCS levels were recorded, and BMI was calculated using height and weight data and converted into Z-scores. Age- and gender-specific growth charts were used for children and adolescents...

PURPOSE: This study assessed concussion knowledge in concussed youth and parents treated at a multi-disciplinary concussion center. METHODS: Youth (n = 50) and parents (n = 36) were approached at the beginning of a clinical visit. Participants completed a 22-item, previously published concussion knowledge survey before the visit. RESULTS: Responses were compared with previously collected, published data from adolescents in a high school setting (n = 500)...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of intrathecal morphine following selective dorsal rhizotomy in pediatric patients previously diagnosed with cerebral palsy. METHODS: This was a retrospective, cohort analysis over the course of four years. The analysis consisted of a treatment group which received intrathecal morphine (5 mcg/kg) injection and a control group that did not receive the injection prior to dural closure. All patients underwent multilevel laminectomies for selective dorsal rhizotomy at Akron Children's Hospital...

PURPOSE: Parenting a child with special health care needs (SHCN) is often stressful. This study aimed to measure and compare stress among mothers of children with (a) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - ASD group, (b) Developmental delay without ASD group, (c) SHCN without developmental delay group, and (d) Typically developing group. To assess factors associated with maternal stress in children with developmental disorders. METHODS: A cross-sectional analytical study was performed with children aged 2-12 years and their mothers...

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a "polio-like" neurologic disorder of the spinal cord gray matter characterized by asymmetric, flaccid limb weakness of rapid onset following prodromal viral illness. It has affected the pediatric population of the United States since 2014, but there is a paucity of literature describing the post-acute comprehensive rehabilitation management that maximizes functional outcomes for patients. This case series attempts to mitigate this by describing the complete acute and post-acute care course of six children diagnosed with AFM in Western Pennsylvania...

PURPOSE: Numerous studies have reported electrophysiological differences between concussed and non-concussed groups, but few studies have systematically explored recovery trajectories from acute concussion to symptom recovery and the transition from acute concussion to prolonged phases. Questions remain about recovery prognosis and the extent to which symptom resolution coincides with injury resolution. This study therefore investigated the electrophysiological differences in recoveries between simple and complex concussion...

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore stander use in individuals with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). METHODS: This mixed method research study employed a survey with categorical and open-ended questions related to stander use. Categorical responses were analyzed quantitatively. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses was linked to the International Classification of Function. Qualitative and quantitative results were merged to derive meta-inferences. RESULTS: Of 147 respondents, 28...