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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.
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JANUARY 2009 RECENT RESEARCH:
Postural Imbalance and Scoliosis
The European Spine Journal published research regarding a relationship between severe scoliosis and
sensory integration disorder.   The researchers used testing with a force platform to determine that the
severity of pre-brace girls with scoliosis could  be effected by sensory integration disorder.

Reference:  Marlene Beaulieu, Claire Toulotte, Laura Gatto, Charles-H. Rivard, Normand Teasdale, Martin
Simoneau and Paul Allard. Postural imbalance in non-treated adolescent idiopathic scoliosis at different
periods of progression European Spine Journal 2008 Dec 6. [Epub ahead of print].
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Drug Exposure and Self Regulation/ Sustained Attention
The Journal of Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics has published research on children who have a
birth history of drug exposure and then remain in the care of their maternal mother.  These children when
tested at 7 years of age had significantly different scores with regard to omission errors.  The researchers
concluded that these children are at greater risk of problems with self regulation and sustained attention.

Reference:  Ackerman, John P. PhD; Llorente, Antolin M. PhD; Black, Maureen M. PhD; Ackerman, Claire S.
MA; Mayes, Lacy A. MA; Nair, Prasanna MD The Effect of Prenatal Drug Exposure and Caregiving Context on
Children's Performance on a Task of Sustained Visual Attention. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral
Pediatrics. 29(6):467-474, December 2008.
PVLM and Walking
A recent study indicates that the severity of  periventricular leukomalacia as seen on infant MRI's are
related to the ability to walk at 12 and 18 months of age but not the quality of walking.

Reference:   Annick Ledebt, Geert J.P. Savelsbergh, Lilian T.L. Sie and Marjo S. van der Knaap Walking
and periventricular leukomalacia: Locomotor characteristics and brain imaging (MRI)
Infant Behavior and Development Volume 31, Issue 4, December 2008, Pages 655-664
 
Weight Gain and Cerebral Palsy
The Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation published research on simulated weight gain in
children with cerebral palsy.  The children, with CP and without, underwent gait analysis after receiving an
additional 10% of body weight via a weight belt.  The children with CP experienced a drop in speed and an
increase in oxygen uptake when compared to the non impaired control group.

Reference:  Frank Plasschaert, MD, Kim Jones, PhD, MCSP, Malcolm Forward, PhD, CEng The Effect of
Simulating Weight Gain on the Energy Cost of Walking in Unimpaired Children and Children With Cerebral
Palsy Volume 89, Issue 12, Pages 2302-2308 (December 2008)
Thickening Foods and GER
Pediatrics published a review of the research on thickened feeds for infants for at least 3 days and its effect
on gastroesophageal reflux (GER).   The researchers concluded that thickened feeds are moderately
effective in treating GER in infants.

Reference:  Horvath, Andrea, Dziechciarz, Piotr, Szajewska, Hania The Effect of Thickened-Feed
Interventions on Gastroesophageal Reflux in Infants: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of
Randomized, Controlled Trials Pediatrics 2008 122: e1268-e1277
Families and Autism
Pediatrics reports on recent research indicating that families of children with autism experience more
financial problems, difficulty receiving proper care, referrals or family support services when compared to
other families with children with disabilities.  This study calculated that nationally 535,000 children (ages
3-17) have disabilities with 5.6% of the children having autism.  

Reference:  Kogan, Michael D., Strickland, Bonnie B., Blumberg, Stephen J., Singh, Gopal K., Perrin, James
M., van Dyck, Peter C. A National Profile of the Health Care Experiences and Family Impact of Autism
Spectrum Disorder Among Children in the United States, 2005-2006
Pediatrics 2008 122: e1149-e1158
Chronic Fatigue and School Attendance
Archives of Disease in Childhood reports that children less than 18 years of age with chronic fatigue
syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy have high rates of absenteeism.  These researchers concluded that
decreased attendance was due to reduced physical function or pain rather than anxiety.  

Reference:  Crawley, Esther, Sterne, Jonathan Association between school absence and physical function
in paediatric CFS/ME Arch Dis Child 2008 0: adc.2008.143537
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