Self Reported Post-Concussive Symptoms, Physical function and Cognitive performance in Youth Athletes

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of a group-based constraintinduced movement therapy (CIMT) program on upper extremity motor performance and functional performance of 12 children with hemiplegia following an acquired brain injury (ABI). Design: Non-randomized, single group, pretest-posttest design. Setting: Outpatient pediatric rehabilitation hospital. Participants: Children (ages 3-18 years) with upper extremity hemiplegia following an ABI (NZ12) who participated in a group-based CIMT program between 2008 and 2013 were recruited for the study through convenience sampling. Interventions: Individuals participated in an interdisciplinary group-based CIMT program for four hours per day over a two-week period. In the program, participants were required to wear a constraint on their unaffected limb while they engaged in play-based activities that encouraged the use of their affected limb. Main Outcome Measure(s): Upper extremity motor performance was measured using the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) preand post-intervention. Functional performance was measured using self-report ratings of performance in functional activities and satisfaction with performance in functional activities using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Results: When comparing outcomes before and after the CIMT program, participants demonstrated significant improvement in upper extremity motor performance (ZZ -2.94, p Z .003), self-reported performance in functional activities (Z Z -3.07, p Z .002), and selfreported satisfaction with their performance in functional activities (Z Z -2.62, p Z .009). Conclusions: This study’s findings suggest that this group-based CIMT program is effective in improving upper extremity motor performance and functional performance in children with hemiplegia following an ABI.