The effects of massage therapy to induce sleep in infants born preterm.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether massage therapy can be used as an adjunct intervention to induce sleep in infants born preterm.

Methods: Thirty infants born at a minimum of 28 weeks gestational age, who were at the time of the study between 32 and 48 weeks adjusted gestational age, were randomly assigned to receive massage therapy on 1 day and not receive massage on an alternate day. The Motionlogger Micro Sleep Watch Actigraph recorded lower extremity activity on the morning of each day.

Safety of Noninvasive Electrical Stimulation of Acupuncture Points During a Routine Neonatal Heel Stick.

Background: Hospitalized infants may undergo frequent painful procedures with inadequate pain relief. Alternative pain relief interventions are needed.

Objective: The aim of this research was to determine the safety of noninvasive electrical stimulation of acupuncture points (NESAP) in neonates who were receiving routine heel sticks.

Wind-up of stretch reflexes as a measure of spasticity in chronic spinalized rats: The effects of passive exercise and modafinil.

Spasticity is a common disorder following spinal cord injury that can impair function and quality of life. While a number of mechanisms are thought to play a role in spasticity, the role of motoneuron persistent inward currents (PICs) is emerging as pivotal. The presence of PICs can be evidenced by temporal summation or wind-up of reflex responses to brief afferent inputs.

The effects of passive exercise therapy initiated prior to or after the development of hyperreflexia following spinal transection.

Hyperreflexia develops after spinal cord injury (SCI) in the human and in the spinal cord transected animal, and can be measured by the loss of low frequency-dependent depression of the H-reflex. Previous studies demonstrated normalization of low frequency-dependent depression of the H-reflex using passive exercise when initiated prior to the development of hyperreflexia. We examined the effects of passive exercise prior to compared to after the development of hyperreflexia in the transected rat.

Serial casting vs combined intervention with botulinum toxin A and serial casting in the treatment of spastic equinus in children.

Purpose: Serial casting has been an effective tool used by physical therapists to increase ankle dorsiflexion range of motion and improve functional gait. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine whether injection with botulinum toxin type A (BtA) before serial casting vs serial casting alone was associated with any changes in (1) the number of weeks necessary to reach the desired dorsiflexion range of motion and (2) the number of degrees of dorsiflexion range of motion gained per week of casting.

Method: Data were obtained through review of records maintained on patients undergoing serial casting.