Active upper-limb therapies for hand function, individual goal achievement, and self-care in children with cerebral palsy: A network meta-analysis.

Aim: To compare active upper-limb therapies for children with cerebral palsy using a network meta-analysis.

Method: For this systematic review, five electronic databases were searched up to 2nd September 2024. Outcomes pertaining to improved hand use (Assisting Hand Assessment, AHA), goal attainment (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, COPM), and self-care were analysed with therapies classified into 15 discrete categories.

Early high risk of cerebral palsy classification is predictive of cerebral palsy at 2 years: an implementation cohort study.

Objective: To determine the predictive accuracy of an early high risk of cerebral palsy (CP) classification for CP diagnosed by 2 years' corrected age within an implementation study of international clinical CP guidelines.

Design: Implementation cohort study.

Setting: Eleven Australian neonatal intensive care units.

Brain lesion extent, growth, and body composition in children with cerebral palsy.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between growth, body composition, and the extent of brain lesion measured using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Method: This prospective population-based cohort study recorded 359 assessments from 124 children with CP aged 18 months to 13 years (38% female, Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] levels I = 50, II = 24, III = 17, IV = 12, and V = 21). A neurologist assessed the extent of the brain lesion using a validated semi-quantitative scale (global, basal ganglia/brainstem, hemispheric and corpus callosum scores).

Implementation Fidelity of a Smartphone Application for Population-Based General Movement Assessment: The Early Moves Study.

Objective: To describe the infant and maternal characteristics of the Early Moves cohort and to assess representativeness to the general population, and to evaluate the implementation fidelity of an application-based collection of General Movement Assessment (GMA) videos at writhing and fidgety age.

Study Design: Prospective observational study. Mothers who had recently delivered or were enrolled to deliver at maternity hospitals in Perth, Western Australia, were recruited from November 2019 to December 2023.

Brain MRI before and at term equivalent age predicts motor and cognitive outcomes in very preterm infants.

Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of high-risk infants in the neonatal period (from 26 weeks postmenstrual age to Term Equivalent Age (TEA)) is increasingly being used for the detection of brain injuries, and the early prognostication of adverse outcomes such as Cerebral Palsy (CP). While most imaging is performed around TEA in clinical practice for infants born preterm (<37 weeks of gestation), this would often require families to return to hospital for imaging. In this work, we extract structural biomarkers from MRI acquired both before and at TEA in a cohort of very preterm infants from the PPREMO and PREBO studies (n = 100), to determine if either time-point, or both combined, are predictive of both Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development - Third Edition (Bayley-III) and the Neuro-sensory Motor Developmental Assessment (NSMDA) at 2 years.

Parenting Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Online (PACT Online) for parents of children diagnosed with or with increased likelihood of neurodevelopmental disability: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Approximately 1 in 13 Australian children have a neurodevelopmental disability. This project aims to assess the effectiveness and implementation of an online parenting support programme, Parenting Acceptance and Commitment Therapy () for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities for improving the parent-child relationship and parent and child outcomes.

Methods And Analysis: This hybrid type 1 randomised controlled trial will focus on evaluating intervention effectiveness and understanding the context for implementation.

Early detection of infants with neurodevelopmental concerns indicative of cerebral palsy in a lower middle-income country (India).

Aim: To determine reproducibility and diagnostic accuracy of screening tools for neuromotor concerns indicative of cerebral palsy (CP) at 18 months corrected age by using the General Movements Assessment (GMA) and/or Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) in West Bengal, India.

Method: This prospective substudy tested psychometrics of screening tools nested within an overarching randomized control trial. A total of 785 infants with birth/infant-detectable risk factors, aged 12 to 40 weeks corrected age (n = 422 male, mean corrected age 22.

A Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial of Hand Arm Bimanual Intensive Training Including Lower Extremity for Children with Bilateral Cerebral Palsy.

Objective: To test the efficacy of Hand Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy Including Lower Extremity (HABIT-ILE) to improve gross motor function, manual ability, goal performance, walking endurance, mobility, and self-care for children with bilateral cerebral palsy.

Study Design: This prospective, waitlist randomized controlled trial included children with bilateral cerebral palsy, aged 6-to-16-years and classified Gross Motor Function Classification System levels II to IV. HABIT-ILE delivered for 2 weeks (65 hours) was compared with usual care.

Active Start Active Future: Feasibility of a Behaviour-Change Intervention to Reduce Sedentary Behaviour and Promote Physical Activity in Young Children with Cerebral Palsy.

Aims: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have low physical activity (PA) and high sedentary behavior. The aim was to trial a participation-focused behavior-change intervention to increase PA and decrease sedentary behavior.

Methods: Twelve children with CP were recruited (mean age 5 years 6 months ± 1 year 2 months, Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] levels  = 1, II = 1, III = 1, IV = 4, V = 5); eight with complete post-intervention data (mean 5 years 10 months ± 1 year 4 months, GMFCS  = 1, III = 1, IV = 4, V = 2).

Study protocol for Active Start Active Future: a randomised control trial of an early behaviour-change intervention targeting physical activity participation and sedentary behaviour in young children with cerebral palsy living in South East Queensland, Australia.

Introduction: The benefits of physical activity (PA) are compelling for all ages and abilities. For children with cerebral palsy (CP), two distinct health behaviours, being physically active and reducing sedentary time, are critical to target as an early intervention to reduce long-term morbidity. One approach may be to increase PA participation by empowering parents who are key to making family lifestyle changes.

Experiences of Parents of Children With Cerebral Palsy Participating in an Online Parenting Course Grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Background: To understand the experiences of parents of children with cerebral palsy (CP) participating in an online parenting course grounded in acceptance and commitment therapy (PACT) from an implementation perspective.

Method: Fifty-five parents from 50 families of children with CP (GMFCS I = 21, II = 15, III = 8, IV = 8, V = 3) participated in this mixed methods study. Families were drawn from 67 families participating in an RCT of PACT.

Predicting neurodevelopment in very preterm infants using the Test of Infant Motor Performance.

Background: Infants born very preterm (VPT) are at increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairments. The Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP) is an assessment used to evaluate an infant's gross motor skills, however, understanding of its predictive accuracy in VPT infants is limited.

Aims: To determine the accuracy of the TIMP assessed at term equivalent age (TEA), and 3 months corrected age (CA), to identify motor or cognitive impairment at 12 months CA in VPT infants.

Study protocol for the Australasian Cerebral Palsy Musculoskeletal Health Network (AusCP MSK) prospective cohort study: early detection of musculoskeletal complications in young children with moderate to severe cerebral palsy (GMFCS III-V).

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physical disability of childhood, affecting movement and posture, resulting from a neurological insult during pregnancy or the neonatal period. While the brain lesion is static, the musculoskeletal sequelae in CP are often progressive and lifelong, associated with pain and can impact the lives of children with CP, their families and the healthcare system. The Australasian Cerebral Palsy Musculoskeletal Health Network (AusCP MSK) study will conduct comprehensive, population-based surveillance of children with moderate to severe functional mobility limitations (Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels III-V) to explore the early biomarkers of, and interactions between, musculoskeletal complications related to CP, including hip displacement, scoliosis and skeletal fragility.

Telehealth Programme for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) for adolescents with acquired and congenital brain injuries: a protocol for mixed-methods randomised trial.

Introduction: For adolescents with brain injury, challenges with social function often persist into adulthood, impacting social participation and quality of life. The Programme for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) is a manualised group-based intervention with preliminary evidence demonstrating improved social knowledge and participation for adolescents with acquired brain injury or cerebral palsy when delivered face to face. The recent COVID-19 pandemic and challenges for families living outside metropolitan centres to access the programme suggest a telehealth delivered PEERS should be explored.

Reproducibility of the Motor Optimality Score-Revised in infants with an increased risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Aim: To determine reproducibility of the Motor Optimality Score-Revised (MOS-R) to assess infants at high risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, including cerebral palsy (CP), autism, and developmental delays.

Method: Thirty infants (18 males, 12 females, gestational age mean [range] = 32.5 [23-41] weeks) were randomly selected, according to 2-year outcome (typically developing; CP; or adverse neurodevelopmental outcome [ad-NDO]) from a prospective cohort.

Early developmental trajectories of the impaired hand in infants with unilateral cerebral palsy.

Aim: To identify developmental trajectories of impaired hand function in infants aged 3 to 15 months with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP).

Method: Sixty-three infants (37 male; median gestational age 37 weeks [interquartile range 30-39.1 weeks]) recruited as part of a randomized trial with a confirmed diagnosis of unilateral CP were included.

Investigating a caregiver-assisted social skills group programme for primary and early high school-aged children with acquired brain injury or cerebral palsy: protocol for a pilot mixed-methods, two-group randomised trial of PEERS Plus.

Introduction: Reaching social milestones is an important goal of childhood. Children with acquired brain injury (ABI) and cerebral palsy (CP) frequently experience challenges with social functioning and participation. The Programme for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) is a group-based social skills programme for adolescents.

Diagnostic accuracy of early neonatal MRI in predicting adverse motor outcomes in children born preterm: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim: To examine the diagnostic accuracy of Early structural and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (acquired at < 36 weeks postmenstrual age) to detect cerebral palsy (CP) or other adverse motor outcomes at or beyond 3 years corrected age in infants born preterm.

Method: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched the CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases for studies without language restrictions and a prospectively registered protocol up to October 2023. We extracted the study details, associations presented, and meta-analyses conducted with pooled sensitivity and specificity.

Diagnostic accuracy of neonatal structural MRI scores to predict 6-year motor outcomes of children born very preterm.

Aims: This study aimed to (1) evaluate associations between Early and Term structural MRI (sMRI) brain abnormality scores and adverse motor outcomes at 6-years corrected age (CA), (2) determine their diagnostic accuracy in predicting adverse motor outcomes and cerebral palsy (CP) at 6-years CA.

Methods: Infants born < 31-weeks gestational age (GA) returning for 6-year follow-up were included. Early and Term sMRI were scored using a validated method, deriving white matter, cortical grey matter, deep grey matter, cerebellar and global brain abnormality scores (GBAS).

Parents' experiences of early screening for cerebral palsy: A qualitative reflexive thematic analysis.

Aim: To explore parents' experiences of early screening for cerebral palsy (CP) in three Australian states.

Method: This is a qualitative description study using semi-structured interviews. Participants were parents of children who had CP (n = 5), or high risk of CP (n = 10), or no CP (n = 11) at 2 years, and had completed early screening for CP.

Clinical utility and psychometric properties of tools for early detection of developmental concerns and disability in young children: A scoping review.

Aim: To explore the clinical utility and psychometric properties of standardized tools for the early detection of developmental concerns or disability in young children.

Method: Systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines containing psychometric data on tools appropriate for use with children from birth to 5 years 11 months were searched for in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and PsycINFO for the years 2000 to 2023, with no language restrictions.

Results: Eighty-six systematic reviews and six clinical practice guidelines guided identification of tools.

Transferability of an executive function intervention in children with cerebral palsy: A randomized controlled trial.

Aim: To evaluate the transfer effects of a home-based computerized executive function intervention on non-targeted cognitive functions (visual perception and memory), quality of life (QoL), and participation in children with cerebral palsy (CP), and to determine whether any improvements were maintained 9 months after the intervention.

Method: Sixty children with CP (aged 8-12 years) were randomly allocated to the intervention (15 females/15 males, mean age 10 years 4 months [SD = 1 years 8 months], age range 8-12 years) or waitlist (control) (15 females/15 males, mean age 10 years [SD = 1 years 9 months], age range 8-12 years) group. The intervention group underwent a home-based executive function intervention programme for 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week, for 12 weeks.