Lace and Learn Letters
All rights reserved.
Your Therapy Source, Inc.
Your online resource for school based therapy and special
needs publications for professional, home and school use.
script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript">
RECENT RESEARCH AND LINKS
Disclaimer:  These pages are not intended to provide medical advice or physician/therapist instruction.  
Information provided should not be used for diagnostic or training purposes.  Consult a therapist or
physician regarding specific diagnoses or medical advice.
Go to recent
research and
links from
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
DECEMBER 2008 RECENT RESEARCH:
Autism and Maternal Age
The American Journal of Epidemiology reports on research indicating that the risk for autism increases
with maternal (>35 years of age) and paternal age (greater than 40 years of age).  There was also a greater
risk of autism for first born children to older parents.  This study looked at 1251 8 year old children with a
diagnosis of autism in 1994.  

Reference:  Maureen S. Durkin , Matthew J. Maenner , Craig J. Newschaffer , Li-Ching Lee , Christopher M.
Cunniff , Julie L. Daniels , Russell S. Kirby , Lewis Leavitt , Lisa Miller , Walter Zahorodny , and Laura A.
Schieve Advanced Parental Age and the Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder American Journal of
Epidemiology Advance Access published on December 1, 2008, DOI 10.1093/aje/kwn250.
Am. J.
Epidemiol.
168: 1268-1276.  
HOME
Overweight Children, Aerobic Activity and Anger
Pediatric Exercise Science reports on a recent study where a structured aerobic exercise program reduced
anger expression in overweight children.  

Reference: Tkacz, J., Young-Hyman, D., Boyle, C., Davis, C.  Aerobic Exercise Program Reduces Anger
Expression Among Overweight Children PES, 20(4), November 2008
Motor and Mental Skills in Toddlers with CP
Developmental Neurorehabilitation  published research on the association between mental and motor
functioning in children with CP.  This study looked at 78 toddlers with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy with
GMFCS I-V.  The researchers determined that when motor and mental functioning did not develop at the
same time,  it was always motor functioning that was more delayed than mental functioning.  No children
performed better on the motor section than the mental section.

Reference:    Lotte Enkelaar ;  Marjolijn Ketelaar; Jan Willem Gorter Association between motor and mental
functioning in toddlers with cerebral palsy
Developmental Neurorehabilitation, Volume 11, Issue 4 2008 ,
pages 276 - 282 .
Modified Constraint Induced Therapy and CP
Developmental Neurorehabilitation reports on a study of 10 children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.  The
children wore mitt on the unaffected hand for 2 hours per day for 8 weeks and received targeted therapy
during that time.   This modified schedule was acceptable to participants.  Improvements were noted in
performance of daily activities.  This feasibility study was done to determine that further randomized trials
are indicated for modified constraint induced therapy.    

Reference:  Margaret Wallen ;  Jenny Ziviani;  Rob Herbert;  Ruth Evans ; Iona Novak  (2008) Modified
constraint-induced therapy for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy: A feasibility study  Developmental
Neurorehabilitation, Volume 11, Issue 2 2008 , pages 124 - 133
Seating and CP
Pediatric Physical Therapy  published a review of the literature on seating adaptations for children with
cerebral palsy.  The literature revealed inconsistent results with saddle seats and the what the best seat to
back angle is.  Significant improvements were seen with seat inserts, external supports and seating
systems.  There was no significant evidence to support that changes in postural control improved
functional abilities.    

Reference:  Chung, Julie BHK, MPT; Evans, Jessie BHK, MPT; Lee, Corinna MSc, MPT; Lee, Jessie BHSc
(Hons), MPT; Rabbani, Yasha BSc, MPT; Roxborough, Lori MSc, BSR; Harris, Susan R. PT, PhD, FAPTA,
FCAHS Effectiveness of Adaptive Seating on Sitting Posture and Postural Control in Children with Cerebral
Palsy.   Pediatric Physical Therapy. 20(4):303-317, Winter 2008.
Strength Training in Children with CP
Pediatric Physical Therapy published a review of the literature on progressive strength training in children
with cerebral palsy.  The research indicated that progressive strength training improved function and gait
especially with isotonic exercises with no significant side effects.  Greater improvements were seen in
younger children.  

Reference:  Mockford, Margaret MSc, MCSP; Caulton, Janette M. MSc, MCSP Systematic Review of
Progressive Strength Training in Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy Who Are Ambulatory.   
Pediatric Physical Therapy. 20(4):318-333, Winter 2008.
Autism and Object Use at 12 months
The current issue of Autism reports on a recent study indicating that 12 month old children who were later
diagnosed with autism, displayed significantly more spinning, rotating, and unusual visual exploration of
objects (i.e. looking out of the corner of the eye) than the control group without autism.  

Reference:  Ozonoff, Sally, Macari, Suzanne, Young, Gregory S., Goldring, Stacy, Thompson, Meagan,
Rogers, Sally J. Atypical object exploration at 12 months of age is associated with autism in a prospective
sample Autism 2008 12: 457-472
Activities and Children with Longitudinal Radial Deficiency
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery reports on research looking at 20 children with longitudinal radial
deficiency.  The children exhibited reduced grip strength and active range of motion although children
performed functional activities fairly well.  There was a large variation in poor strength and activity abilities
but range of motion displayed a linear relationship with activity performance.

Reference:  Buffart, Laurien M., Roebroeck, Marij E., Janssen, Wim G.M., Hoekstra, Anneke, Selles, Ruud
W., Hovius, Steven E.R., Stam, Henk J.  Hand Function and Activity Performance of Children with
Longitudinal Radial Deficiency  J Bone Joint Surg Am 2008 90: 2408-2415
Mental Illness and Strabismus
Pediatrics reports on a recent research study on a connection between having strabismus as children and
mental illness.  Of the 266 children with a history of esotropia and 141 with exotropia, 41.3% were
diagnosed with a mental illness (monitored until 17 years of age) compared to 30.7% of the control
subjects.  Children with exotropia were at greater risk.  When monitored to 20 years old, children with
esotropia were not at a greater risk for mental illness than the control group.  Children with intermittent
exotropia were at the greatest risk of developing mental illness.

Reference:  Mohney, Brian G., McKenzie, Jeff A., Capo, Jason A., Nusz, Kevin J., Mrazek, David, Diehl, Nancy
N.Mental Illness in Young Adults Who Had Strabismus as Children Pediatrics 2008 122: 1033-1038
Botox vs Surgery at Hip Adductors
The Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation has published research on comparing the benefits of
botox injections versus soft tissue surgery to the hip adductors.   One hundred ninety four children with
cerebral palsy were studied - 69 children received no treatment, 60 children had surgery and 65 has botox
injections.   The improvements in hip migration did not differ significantly between the botox and surgery
group.   Improvements were greater in younger children and higher functioning children.  Children with high
degrees of subluxation experienced advancing hip dislocation whether they received any of the treatments.  
The researchers concluded that botox injections could be used in place of soft tissue surgery to prevent hip
dislocation.  

Reference:  Comparison of Botulinum Toxin Type A Injection and Soft-Tissue Surgery to Treat Hip
Subluxation in Children With Cerebral Palsy Eun Joo Yang, Dong-wook Rha, Hyun Woo Kim, Eun Sook
Park Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - November 2008 (Vol. 89, Issue 11, Pages
2108-2113, DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2008.04.019)