Affiliations: Department of Rehabilitation, Seattle Children's
Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA | University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Bernadette T. Gillick, 420, Delaware
Street SE, MMC 388, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. Tel.: +1 612 626 6415; Fax: +1
612 625 4274; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Objective: Constraint-Induced Therapy (CIT) has been used in
pediatric rehabilitation and targets upper extremity (UE) outcomes. The purpose
of this study was to measure concurrent gross motor and lower extremity
functional changes using the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) before and
after a modified UE CIT program. The Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) was used
to evaluate upper extremity outcomes. Design: Before-after trial design of a 19-day outpatient CIT program at Seattle Children's Hospital in Seattle,
WA, USA of six ambulatory children with spastic hemiparesis between the ages of
5 and 11 years with GMFCS scores of 1. GMFM Section D (Standing) and E
(Walking, Running, Jumping) and AHA scores were obtained before and after a modified CIT program. Results: Significant differences were found between pre and post-CIT AHA and GMFM section D and E scores (p < 0.05). All
children improved from baseline, yet the child with the lowest initial scores
revealed the greatest improvements. Conclusions: Improvements in GMFM and
AHA scores were noted after a modified CIT program. Such data suggests that CIT
may also influence rehabilitation outcomes not only specific to the upper
extremity and warrants further investigation.
