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Neurodevelopmental Treatment in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Review of the Literature
Sandeep Khanna1,2, Ranganathan Arunmozhi3, Chanan Goyal4,5
1Physiotherapy, PhD Program, Sardar Bhagwan Singh University, Dehradun, IND.
Insights
Neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) shows positive outcomes for children with cerebral palsy (CP), primarily improving motor function. However, research needs to focus more on NDT
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurorehabilitation
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a complex developmental disorder affecting movement and posture.
- Neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) is a common therapeutic approach for children with CP.
- Understanding NDT's effectiveness and alignment with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current literature on NDT for children with CP.
- To identify outcome measures used in NDT studies.
- To assess if these measures align with the ICF framework.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted in PEDro, PubMed, and Google Scholar.
- Studies published in English between 2000 and 2023 were included.
- 54 relevant studies examining NDT's effect on children with CP were analyzed.
Main Results:
- NDT demonstrated positive outcomes in 41 of the 54 reviewed studies.
- Commonly assessed parameters included gross motor function, balance, and postural control.
- Outcome measures predominantly focused on the ICF's body structure/function and activity domains.
Conclusions:
- NDT is a globally utilized intervention for pediatric CP rehabilitation.
- Current outcome measures often neglect the participation domain of the ICF.
- Future research should investigate NDT's impact on participation and utilize larger, homogenous study groups.
Abstract:
This review aimed to explore the current literature on neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). It also sought to determine what outcome measures are used to analyze the effect of NDT and whether these parameters are in line with the components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The studies published in the English language between 2000 and 2023 were included based on a search of the databases PEDro, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Studies that examined the effect of NDT on children with CP were included. We found a total of 54 studies describing the effect of NDT in children with CP and these were included in this literature review. NDT in children with CP was found to have positive outcomes in 41 studies, while 13 studies had contradictory conclusions. Based on our findings, NDT is widely used for the rehabilitation of children with CP globally. The parameters used to assess the improvement mostly included gross motor function, balance, and postural control. The outcome measures used in studies are usually linked to body structure and function or activities domain of the ICF model by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, there is a scarcity of studies on the effect of NDT on participation, which should be the outcome of any rehabilitation program. There is scope for future research to demonstrate the effect of NDT on the participation of children with CP. Further studies with larger sample sizes and homogenous groups are recommended.
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