Gonca Bumin

Effects of swimming training on physical fitness and water orientation in autism

Autism is a severely incapacitating condition that typically appears during the first 3 years of life and is characterized by severe communication and other developmental and educational problems. Children with autism generally demonstrate poor motor skills. Consequently, rehabilitation programs should emphasize fundamental motor skills and patterns of movement, individual games and sports, and developmental activities that increase physical proficiency. 1,2 An important goal is to help autistic children to develop responses to stimuli in the environment. Swimming pool activities have been found to be successful in this regard. 3 The therapeutic use of water activities or swimming with autistic children is believed to facilitate language development and self-concept, and to improve adaptive behavior and provide an appropriate setting for early educational intervention. 4 While the literature indicates that many autistic children respond well to swimming activities; there are no reports about the effects of swimming on autistic childrens’ motor performance and physical fitness. The purpose of the this study was to determine the effects of water exercises and swimming on motor performance and physical fitness, and to observe the behavior of an autistic subject as he becomes familiar with the pool, and to observe the development of beginner swimming skills in children with autism.

Comparison of different therapy approaches in children with Down syndrome

Abstract Background : Children with Down syndrome have sensory integrative dysfunction as a result of limited sensory experience from lack of normal motor control. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of sensory integrative therapy alone, vestibular stimulation in addition to sensory integrative therapy and neurodevelopmental therapy, on children with Down syndrome.

Effectiveness of two different sensory-integration programmes for children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy

Purpose: This study was planned to investigate the effects of individual and group approaches to sensory-perceptual-motor (SPM) training on children with cerebral palsy. Method: This study was carried out at the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation of Hacettepe University, Occupational Therapy Unit. Forty-one children who were diagnosed as having spastic diplegic cerebral palsy by the Department of Paediatric Neurology of Hacettepe University were assessed. Forty-one children with cerebral palsy were randomly divided into three groups. Individual and group SPM training were given to first group (IND) (n 16) and second group (GRP) (n 16) respectively. The third group was determined as a control group (n 9) and only the home programme was given. All children were evaluated with Ayres Southern California Sensory Integration Test and Physical Ability Test before and after training. The SPM training programmes were applied for 1.5 hours, 3 days per week for 3 months. Results: Estimates of effect sizes were calculated for group, individual and control treatments. Results indicated that both group and individual treatments had a measurable effect that was consistently greater than that of controls. Conclusions: This study shows that programmes of SPM training in individuals and group treatments affect children with cerebral palsy. It was concluded that SPM training in children with cerebral palsy will be applied to combined programmes and the relationship with individual and group treatments developed.

The assessment of Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency in children

OBJECTIVE The primary objective is to research the relationship between motor abilities and demographic characteristics such as age and sex, in healthy children aged 4-11 years. METHODS One hundred and twenty children in kindergarten (n = 30) and primary school (n = 90) were included in the study and evaluated by the Occupational Therapy Unit. All children were divided into four groups according to age, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and 10-11 years. The primary school children were classified according to academic learning, being successful or unsuccessful. In this study, Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency was used to assess the gross motor skills and fine motor skills. These tests are running speed and agility (subtest 1/item 1), balance/walking forward heel-to-toe on walking line (subtest 2/item 6), bilateral coordination/tapping-foot and finger on same side synchronized (subtest 3/item 2), strength/standing broad jump (subtest 4/item 1), response speed (subtest 6/item 1), visual motor control/cutting out a circle with preferred hand (subtest 7/item 1), upper-limb speed and dexterity/pacing pennies in two boxes with both hands (subtest 8/item 2). RESULTS When the children were classified according to sex, there were significant differences in subtests 6 and 7. According to academic learning, there were significant differences in subtests 2 and 8. When the results were evaluated due to age, important differences were found in subtests 1, 2, 4 and 8. CONCLUSION It was seen that gross and fine motor skills in early childhood showed variety between age, sex and academic learning. The scores of motor abilities were better in successful children than unsuccessful children. The outcome of this study revealed that the Bruininks-Oseretsky test can be useful to investigate unexplored aspects of motor development.

HYDROTHERAPY FOR RETT SYNDROME

OBJECTIVE The effects of hydrotherapy on an 11-year-old girl with stage III Rett syndrome were investigated. METHODS The Halliwick method was used to apply hydrotherapy in a swimming pool twice a week for 8 weeks. The girls physical abilities were assessed 3 times: before and 5 minutes after a single hydrotherapy session and after 8 weeks of hydrotherapy. The tests included analysis of stereotypical movements, functional hand use, hand skills, gait and balance, hyperactive behaviour, communication and social interaction. RESULTS Immediately after hydrotherapy, stereotypical movements decreased and this decrease continued during the following 8 weeks. The girls feeding activities and hand skills increased markedly. After 8 weeks of hydrotherapy, her walking balance was improved, interaction with her environment increased and hyperactive behaviour and anxiety decreased. CONCLUSION In conclusion, after the application of hydrotherapy, stereotypical hand movements had decreased and purposeful hand functions and feeding skills increased in this case. Whether hydrotherapy has a positive effect on the functional use of the hand in Rett syndrome should be investigated using more subjects.

An investigation of the factors affecting handwriting skill in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy

Purpose. This study investigated the effects of sensory-perceptual-motor and cognitive functions on handwriting skill in primary-school children with left-hemiplegic cerebral palsy, compared with that of their healthy peers. Methods. The study included 26 children aged 8–12 years with left hemiplegic cerebral palsy and 32 typically developing children of similar age with dominant right hand. The Minnesota Handwriting Assessment was used to evaluate handwriting skill. The Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency was used to assess motor performance. Cognitive function was assessed by the Lowenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment. The Ayres Southern California Sensory Integration Tests were used to assess visual perception, kinaesthesia and graphesthesia. Results. Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in sensory-perceptual-motor and cognitive function and handwriting skill (p < 0.05). There were also significant correlations between handwriting parameters and upper-extremity speed and dexterity, proprioception, bilateral coordination, visual and spatial perception and, visual-motor organisation in children with cerebral palsy (p < 0.05). Conclusions. The results showed that left-hemiplegic children with cerebral palsy whose right sides were dominant were significantly less competent at handwriting than their right-dominant, healthy peers. It was found that the impairment in proprioception seen in the non-hemiplegic side in children with cerebral palsy, and also the impairment in bilateral coordination, speed and dexterity of the upper extremities, visual and spatial perception, visual-motor organization, and tactile-sensory impairments negatively affected their handwriting skills. In the treatment approaches for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, comprehensive sensory-perceptual-motor assessments that involve both extremities must be performed in detail at the earliest possible stage, in order to minimize the existing problems with early-treatment policies. Developing the sensory-perceptual-motor and cognitive function of hemiplegic children would thus be possible, and they would be able to develop handwriting skill as a tool for their academic lives as healthy peers.

An investigation of the factors affecting handwriting performance in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy

Purpose. This study investigated the effects of sensory – perceptual – motor and cognitive functions on handwriting performance in primary-school children with left-hemiplegic cerebral palsy, compared with that of their healthy peers. Methods. The study included 26 children aged 8 – 12 years with left-hemiplegic cerebral palsy and 32 typically developing children of similar age with dominant right hand. The Minnesota Handwriting Assessment was used to evaluate handwriting ability. The Bruininks – Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency was used to assess motor performance. Cognitive function was assessed by the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment. The Ayres Southern California Sensory Integration Tests were used to assess visual perception, kinaesthesia, and graphesthesia. Results. Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in sensory-perceptual-motor and cognitive function and in handwriting ability (p < 0.05). There were also significant correlations between handwriting parameters and upper-extremity speed and dexterity, proprioception, bilateral coordination, visual and spatial perception and, visual-motor organisation in children with cerebral palsy (p < 0.05). Conclusions. The results showed that left-hemiplegic children with cerebral palsy whose right sides were dominant were significantly less competent at handwriting than their right-dominant, healthy peers. It was found that the impairment in proprioception seen in the non-hemiplegic side in children with cerebral palsy, and also the impairment in bilateral coordination, speed and dexterity of the upper extremities, visual and spatial perception, visual-motor organization, and tactile-sensory impairments negatively affected their handwriting skills. In the treatment approaches for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, comprehensive sensory – perceptual – motor assessments that involve both extremities must be performed in detail at the earliest possible stage, in order to minimize the existing problems with early-treatment policies. Developing the sensory – perceptual – motor and cognitive function of hemiplegic children would thus be possible, and they would be able to adapt to the same primary-school curriculum as their healthy peers.

The effects of ergonomic training and preventive physiotherapy in musculo-skeletal pain

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ergonomic training and preventive physiotherapy program in visual display terminal (VDT) operators with musculoskeletal pain.The study was carried out at Software Corporation in Turkey and a total 40 volunteer VDT operators consisting of 15 female and 25 male were included the study. The mean age of subjects was 27.30 ± 4.70 years. The subjects were firstly evaluated by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health checklist to investigate the exposure of workers to risk factors associated with work-related upper limb problems using VAS (Visual Analog Scale) and RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment). One week after this initial evaluation, the subjects were trained with an ergonomic and preventive physiotherapy program. Two sessions lasting 6 hours in total were given to two groups with 20 subjects in each. After the training all subjects were re-evaluated. There was a significant difference between the results of pretraining and post...

A correlation between sex hormone levels and pressure pain threshold and tolerance in healthy women

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sex hormone levels and pressure pain threshold (PPT) and pressure pain tolerance (PPTO) in healthy women. Forty-one volunteers with mean age 33.00 ± 6.28 years participated in the study. Before PPT and PPTO, plasma levels of estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone and follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) were determined. The PPT and PPTO were measured at masseteric muscle by pressure algometer. There was a significant positive correlation between estrogen, progesterone, prolactine and PPT and PPTO (p < 0.01), but there was no correlation between FSH and PPT, PPTO. It was concluded that sex hormone levels influence pain perception in healthy women. It must be taken into consideration that in pain treatment of women, due to fluctuation of hormone levels, perception of pain may change.

Cognition in 4-11 year old children in Turkey

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship among age, sex and academic performance with cognitive ability on healthy age groups. METHODS The subjects were 71 children, aged 4-11 years (x = 7.11). The children were divided into four age groups: 22 of the 71 children were at kindergarten and 49 children were in primary education. Thirty nine children were girls and 32 were boys. Twenty six children had good academic achievement and 23 did not. Each child was tested on the LOTCA battery by the Occupational Therapy Unit of Hacettepe University School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation. In this study, seven subtests were used from LOTCA (Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment). These are orientation for place, orientation for time, overlapping figures, praxis, reproduction of a two dimensional model, drawing a clock, and categorization. RESULTS Statistical analysis of the relationships demographic variables, academic achievement and performance on the battery revealed that age was significant, sex was insignificant and academic achievement was significant when correlated with cognitive abilities. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that cognitive abilities tested show some differences. For this reason, in the school or other educational settings, children who have low academic achievement should be assessed also for cognitive abilities and then provided with occupational therapy.