Purpose: Dysarthria is common among children with cerebral palsy (CP) and results in poor speech intelligibility and subsequently low communicative participation. Neuroplasticity evidence suggests that adherence to principles of motor learning (PML) improves motor speech intervention outcomes. Motor speech interventions aim to improve speech…

Children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) often present motor co-ordination difficulties accompanying their speech and sound delays. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a paired versus a small group gross motor intervention on selected pre-school children, pre-identified with CAS. Children pre-identified with…

Dysphagia (impaired swallowing) is known to contribute to decreased quality of life, and increased length of hospital stay and mortality post-stroke. Despite the advancements in stroke treatment with the introduction of thrombolysis and endovascular clot retrieval (ECR), patients continue to present with high rates of dysphagia. Speech and…

This pilot study investigates the feasibility and assesses the impact of "Lactobacillus plantarum" PS128 probiotics on the neurological function in Rett syndrome. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial on Rett syndrome with MECP2 mutation aged between 1 and 50 years in Taiwan. In this pilot study,…

Aims: This study evaluated whether caregiver-provided learning opportunities moderated the effect of START-Play physical therapy intervention on the cognitive skills of young children with neuromotor delays, and whether START-Play impacted caregiver-provided learning opportunities over time. Methods: One hundred and twelve children with neuromotor…

This qualitative embedded single-case study sought to describe a dance intervention designed for people in stroke rehabilitation. Recommendations from rehabilitation therapists, and the researcher-dance educator's observations of the therapists' work and of patient participation during the intervention were captured and analyzed, from design to…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine speech characteristics in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) before and after participation in an 11-week choral singing intervention. Speech characteristics were analyzed using an acoustic measure of vowel space area (VSA) and a standardized speech intelligibility metric. Participants…

Spina bifida (SB) refers to a subgroup of congenital defects where the neural tube fails to fuse, often resulting in a protruding spinal cord. This is often due to a defect or absence of vertebral arches resulting from a failure of the mesoderm to organize over the region of the defect. SB occurs during gestation between the third and sixth week…

Background: The symptoms and their progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are typically studied after the diagnosis has been confirmed. However, many people with ALS already have severe dysarthria and loss of adequate speech at the time of diagnosis. Speech-and-language therapy interventions should be targeted timely based on…

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), sometimes referred to as concussion, is one of the most common acquired neurological problems of childhood. When children return to school following mTBI, school psychologists should be actively involved in the determination of neurocognitive and functional deficits for the purpose of designing strength-based…

In order to identify optimal rehabilitation strategies for spinal cord injury (SCI) participants, assessment of impaired walking is required to detect, monitor and quantify movement disorders. In the proposed assessment, ten healthy and seven SCI participants were recruited to perform an over-ground walking test at slow walking speeds. SCI…

The study of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) has emerged as a vibrant line of inquiry over the last three decades. DCD is defined as a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by poor motor proficiency that interferes with a child's activities of daily living (sometimes also known as dyspraxia). Common symptoms include…

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is frequently under-recognized, but in fact, it occurs in as many as 5-6% of children. DCD is a disorder of motor coordination that is not explained by intellectual disability or any congenital or acquired neurological disorder. Families seek physical and occupational therapy (OT) to ameliorate a child…

Rehabilitation researchers who investigate complex interventions are challenged to describe the "active ingredients" of their interventions: the reason(s) why a treatment is expected to be effective. Interactive Computer Play (ICP) is an emerging complex intervention in rehabilitation practice and research. The purpose of this scoping review is to…

This study examines the effects of long-term training program on balance and center of pressure (COP) for four male children (13 years of age) with cerebral palsy (CP). These children were classified into one hemiplegic (level II), one diplegic (level II) and two quadriplegic children (levels III and II) using the Gross Motor Function…