Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Evaluating therapy in cerebral palsy

E Bower1, D L McLellan

  • 1University of Southampton, Rehabilitation Research Unit, UK.

Child: Care, Health and Development
|November 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Randomized controlled trials are not always suitable for evaluating treatments like physiotherapy for cerebral palsy. Single-case studies with goal setting offer a more effective and cost-efficient alternative for treatment evaluation.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Current priorities in the understanding and management of disorders of consciousness.

Neuropsychological rehabilitation·2018
Same author

Feasibility of 2 × 24-h dietary recalls combined with a food-recording booklet, using EPIC-Soft, among schoolchildren.

European journal of clinical nutrition·2011
Same author

Evaluation of 2 × 24-h dietary recalls combined with a food-recording booklet, against a 7-day food-record method among schoolchildren.

European journal of clinical nutrition·2011
Same author

Feasibility of repeated 24-h dietary recalls combined with a food-recording booklet, using EPIC-Soft, among preschoolers.

European journal of clinical nutrition·2011
Same author

The effects of social class and dental attendance on oral health.

Journal of dental research·2007
Same author

Oral health acculturation in Albanian-speakers in south London.

Community dental health·2007

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Rehabilitation
  • Clinical Trial Design
  • Cerebral Palsy Management

Background:

  • Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are standard for treatment evaluation but have limitations.
  • Evaluating physiotherapy for cerebral palsy presents unique challenges for traditional RCTs.
  • Published studies on childhood cerebral palsy physiotherapy between 1960-1993 show methodological issues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review problems in existing studies evaluating physiotherapy for childhood cerebral palsy.
  • To propose an alternative, more appropriate trial design for this field.
  • To address the limitations of current methodologies in assessing treatment efficacy.

Main Methods:

  • Review of eight published studies on physiotherapy for childhood cerebral palsy (1960-1993).
  • Proposal of a modified trial design using single-case studies.
  • Inclusion of individual goal setting and validated outcome measurement.
  • Incorporation of randomized treatment within a single-case framework.

Main Results:

  • Identified significant disadvantages in previously published group trial studies.
  • Proposed single-case studies overcome many limitations of group trials.
  • The alternative approach is suggested to be more cost-effective.

Conclusions:

  • Modification of standard randomized controlled trial designs is necessary for evaluating interventions like physiotherapy in cerebral palsy.
  • A series of single-case studies with individualized goals and validated outcomes offers a viable alternative.
  • This approach can lead to more effective future group trials and better understanding of treatment impact.

Related Experiment Videos