Background and Purpose: This case report investigated the benefits of a 12-week physical therapy program for a child with ataxia-telangiectasia (AT). Case Description: A 9-year-old girl with a diagnosis of AT participated. The physical therapy program consisted of balance and strength exercise and Wii Fit Balance-based video games training with a pediatric physical therapist for 12 weeks. Measurements: The motor performance, Gross Motor Function Measurement (GMFM), Pediatric Berg Balance Scale (PBBS), Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS), participation as measured by the Life Habits Questionnaire (LIFE-H), and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Outcomes: Positive changes were observed in the TCMS, PBBS, GMFM, and motor performance, participation, and quality of life. Conclusions: Notable improvements were observed in both body structure and function, and activities and participation level. What This Adds to Evidence: This case report is the first to support the effectiveness of physical therapy in a child with AT.

Objectives: The Assessment of Life Habits (LIFE-H) is a well-known questionnaire used to evaluate participation. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the LIFE-H in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Patients and Methods: The study included 450 children with CP between the ages of 2-18 years old. The internal consistency and testretest reliability of the LIFE-H were calculated. The construct validity of the LIFE-H was determined with the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) domains and Pediatric Outcome Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) subscales. Results: The mean age of the children was 8.37±5.13 years (42.4% female, 57.6% male). The internal consistency of the LIFE-H was determined to be acceptable for all categories (Cronbach alpha:0.794-0.999). The test-retest reliability values were found to be of good to excellent reliability (ICC:0.804-0.999). The correlation between the LIFE-H total scores, PODCI subscales and PEDI domains was determined as acceptable (rho between 0.538-0.894) except for the Pain/Comfort, Happiness subscales of the PODCI (rho:0.240 – 0.479). Conclusions: It was determined that the Turkish LIFE-H had acceptable internal consistency, good test-retest reliability and satisfactory construct validity. Turkish LIFE-H is an appropriate tool to assess the participation of children and adolescents with CP.

To investigate the relationships between four functional classification systems in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and parent-interpredicted intelligence level, and the functional status in clini...

This study aims to translate the Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity (SCALE) into Turkish language, assess its reliability and validity in children with spastic cerebral palsy.Fifty...

Background: Ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) are usually recommended to prevent deformities and to increase the standing and walking performance in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Objective: To compare the body functions and structures, activity and participation levels, and environmental factors according to AFO-wearing time in children with spastic CP. Study design: Prospective, cross-sectional-observational-clinical study. Methods: Eighty children with spastic CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System I–III; mean age 7.3 ± 3.9 years) were divided into two groups with equal ages and duration of AFO usage, which is provided as a part of routine clinical care: 6–12 hours per day group (n = 40) and 12–24 hours per day group (n = 40). The outcomes measured were calf muscle's spasticity with the modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), passive ankle dorsiflexion angle (DA), 66-item Gross Motor Function Measurement, Pediatric Berg Balance Scale, and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Parental satisfaction was measured with a Visual Analog Scale. Multifactorial ANOVA was used to compare the groups, corrected for 66-item Gross Motor Function Measurement. Results: No significant differences for the Pediatric Berg Balance Scale, MAS, and DA were found between the groups. Significant differences for the PedsQL (76.99 vs. 57.63; mean difference [MD], 15.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 10.99∼20.22), daily living activities (65.30 vs. 35.92; MD, 25.72; 95% CI, 17.58∼33.86), fatigue (76.9 vs. 56.85; MD, 23.11; 95% CI, 16.87∼29.35), and satisfaction (8.08 vs. 5.21; MD, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.64∼3.27) were found between the groups; 6–12 hour group had superiority for each outcome (P < 0.001). Wearing time was significantly correlated with PedsQL (r = −0.524, P < 0.001) and satisfaction (r = −0.521, P < 0.001) but not with MAS or DA. Conclusions: AFO-wearing time seems to depend on the child's activity and participation levels rather than body functions and structures in children with spastic CP. Prolonged AFO-wearing time was negatively correlated with both the activity-participation level and parental satisfaction.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to evaluate the intra- and inter-rater reliability, and validity of the Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS) for tele-assessment in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 36 children aged 4–18 years, diagnosed with hemiplegic CP. Participants underwent four TCMS assessments: in-person assessment, tele-assessment via videoconferencing, and two video-based tele-assessments scored by same rater and by a second rater. Reliability was analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Discriminant validity was assessed by comparing TCMS tele-assessment scores between children with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I and II, while criterion validity was evaluated by examining the correlation between face-to-face and tele-assessment TCMS scores. Results: Excellent reliability was observed between face-to-face and tele-assessment (ICC: 0.91; 95%CI: 0.83–0.95). TCMS tele-assessment also demonstrated excellent intra-rater reliability (ICC: 0.90, 95%CI: 0.80–0.94) and high inter-rater reliability (ICC: 0.82, 95%CI: 0.66–0.90). Criterion validity was confirmed by strong correlations between face-to-face and tele-assessment scores ( r = 0.925, and r = 0.892, p < 0.001 for rater-1 and rater-2, respectively). The TCMS successfully discriminated children by functional levels, demonstrating discriminative validity ( p = 0.002). Bland-Altman analysis revealed minimal systematic error, with internal consistency remaining high across all assessments (>0.88). Discussion: TCMS is a valid and reliable tool for teleassessing trunk control in children with hemiplegic CP. These results may pave the way for developing child-specific, targeted telerehabilitation programs, bringing telerehabilitation closer to its primary aim of ensuring equal opportunities. This study was registered as a clinical trial (NCT06707831). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06707831