Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are at a greater risk of respiratory complications from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, this study aimed to assess COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (VH) among parents of CP children in Egypt, using the Arabic version of the Parental Attitude about Childhood Vaccination (PACV) questionnaire. This cross-sectional survey study was conducted at the outpatient clinics of two hospitals in Cairo, Egypt. Parents of children with CP were recruited using a simple random sampling technique. A total of 321 parents were enrolled; more than half of them were mothers of the children (61.37%); and the majority were Egyptians (87.23%) and living in urban areas (84.42%). Nearly 70% of the parents were hesitant to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to their children. A multiple linear regression model revealed that the PACV mean scores were lower among the following categories: (1) parents who could pay back loans, compared to those who could not pay back loans and who reported insufficient income (β = −2.39, p = 0.030); (2) non-Egyptian parents (β = −1.54, p = 0.002); (3) those who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 themselves or had the intention to receive the complete COVID-19 vaccination (β = −6.28, p < 0.001); (4) those who had the intention to give the COVID-19 vaccination to their children (β = −3.04, p < 0.001); and (5) parents whose children received routine vaccines (β = −2.86, p < 0.045). After adjusting for other covariates, the parental COVID-19 vaccine status (β = −6.28, p < 0.001) and parents who experienced a COVID-19-related death in the family (β = −1.75, p < 0.001) showed significantly lower mean PACV scores. However, higher mean PACV scores were reported among parents who had a COVID-19 infection (β = 2.77, p < 0.001) or who were not sure (β = 2.94, p < 0.001). Our findings suggest the need to increase COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among parents of vulnerable children to reduce the negative consequences of COVID-19.

Background: Limited attention has been given to the effectiveness of the platform swing walkway, which is a common way to improve gait pattern through activation of sensory stimuli (visual, auditory, vestibular, and somatosensory). Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a platform swing walkway on gait parameters in children with diplegic cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: A total of 30 children of both sexes (aged 6-8 years) with diplegic CP were enrolled in this study. They were randomly assigned into two groups of equal number: the control group (n=15) and the study group (n=15). The control group received the conventional physical therapy plan, whereas the study group received the same conventional physical therapy program in addition to gait training on a platform swing walkway. Temporal parameters during the gait cycle were collected using gait tracker video analysis, and the Growth Motor Function Measure Scale (GMFM-88) was used to assess standing and walking (Dimensions D and E) before and after the treatment program. Results: A statistically significant improvement in both groups was noted when comparing the mean values of all measured variables before and after treatment (P≤.05). There were significant differences between the control and study groups with respect to all measured variables, which favored the study group when comparing the posttreatment outcomes (P≤.05). Conclusions: Results suggest that gait training on platform swing walkways can be included as an alternative therapeutic modality to enhance gait parameters and gross motor function in children with diplegic CP. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NTC04246658; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NTC04246658

This study compares the effect of intensive motor learning approaches on improving the quality of upper extremity skills in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP) by working on vertical surfaces versus horizontal surfaces during rehabilitation sessions. Forty UCP children of both sexes were randomized into two equal groups. All participants received 60 min of intensive motor learning approaches three days/week for three successive months. These approaches included constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), in which children wore a splint or sling on the unaffected upper limb, as well as hand-arm bimanual intensive training (HABIT) that requires the use of both hands during specific play-based activities. The control group received training on a horizontal surface while the child sat in front of an elbow-height table while the study group (vertical surface training) sat or stood in front of a wall/mirror/board. The task requirements were graded to ensure success. Statistically significant differences were detected between the mean values of post-treatment of all scorers, with a greater percentage of improvement in favor of the study group. This study revealed that working on a vertical surface improved upper limb motor skills more significantly than working on a horizontal surface.

BACKGROUND Limited attention has been given to the effectiveness of the platform swing walkway, which is a common way to improve gait pattern through activation of sensory stimuli (visual, auditory, vestibular, and somatosensory). OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a platform swing walkway on gait parameters in children with diplegic cerebral palsy (CP). METHODS A total of 30 children of both sexes (aged 6-8 years) with diplegic CP were enrolled in this study. They were randomly assigned into two groups of equal number: the control group (n=15) and the study group (n=15). The control group received the conventional physical therapy plan, whereas the study group received the same conventional physical therapy program in addition to gait training on a platform swing walkway. Temporal parameters during the gait cycle were collected using gait tracker video analysis, and the Growth Motor Function Measure Scale (GMFM-88) was used to assess standing and walking (Dimensions D and E) before and after the treatment program. RESULTS A statistically significant improvement in both groups was noted when comparing the mean values of all measured variables before and after treatment (P≤.05). There were significant differences between the control and study groups with respect to all measured variables, which favored the study group when comparing the posttreatment outcomes (P≤.05). CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that gait training on platform swing walkways can be included as an alternative therapeutic modality to enhance gait parameters and gross motor function in children with diplegic CP. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NTC04246658; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NTC04246658

: To determine whether adding extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) to conventional treatment enhances pain, function, and electrophysiological functionality in females with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). : One hundred females (25-40 years) diagnosed with CTS were randomly allocated to a control group that received conventional therapy and an experimental group that received the same program augmented with ESWT. Outcome measures included the symptom severity scale (SSS), function severity scale (FSS), pain intensity assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS). In addition, distal sensory latency/distal motor latency (DSL/DML), and sensory nerve conduction velocity/motor nerve conduction velocity (SNCV/MNCV) were measured using a nerve conduction velocity study. : The experimental group exhibited significantly greater improvements in SSS, VAS, DSL, DML, SNCV, compared to controls (all p≤0.05). However, changes in MNCV and FSS were non-significant (p>0.05). : Integrating ESWT into rehabilitation enhances function, pain, and electrophysiological recovery in females with CTS.