Effects an of intensive rehabilitation on gross motor function of infants with perinatal stroke

• Grant number: 22/04750-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 08, 2022
• End date: August 24, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Ana Carolina de Campos
• Grantee: Pedro Bittencourt de Oliveira
• Supervisor: Jill C. Heathcock
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Ohio State University, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/03207-1 - Physical therapy services during the COVID-19 pandemic: experiences of families of children and adolescents with physical disabilities, BP.IC

Abstract

Understanding the appropriate dosage of rehabilitation interventions is relevant in order to promote the best outcomes and facilitate family engagement in pediatric rehabilitation. This project is part of an ongoing multisite trial, which the Ohio State University is included in, besides being the assessment core . The aim of this larger project is to determine the effectiveness of two different dosages of an intensive infant rehabilitation with constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) in children with perinatal stroke aged 8 to 36 months across a variety of outcomes. The specific aim of this proposal is to describe gross motor function in infants who receive intensive treatment or not. Methods: 240 infants will be recruited and randomly assigned to receive a high dosage of CIMT (6 hours/day, 5 days/week X 4 weeks), a moderate dosage (3 hours/day, 5 day/week X 4 weeks) or usual care. We will compare the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88) scores before and after the interventions. Expected results: The results of this study will advance the knowledge on effective rehabilitation interventions for young children with disabilities. The candidate will learn novel assessment and rehabilitation methods used at the Infant Lab at Ohio State, which will contribute to his training and to strengthen research collaborations between the institutions. (AU)