ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study reviews the scientific literature to identify and describe which assessment tools (ATs) are used in pediatric oncology and neuro-oncology rehabilitation and which development neuropsychomotor (DNPM) ATs were built for children with central nervous system (CNS) tumors. METHODS: A systematic review was performed searching PubMed, CINAHL, PEDro, Science Direct, and Catalog of National Institute of Tumors databases and specialized journals. The search covered 7 years (2010-2017) and used relevant keywords in different combinations. A further search was carried out on DNPM rehabilitation manuals and academic thesis. RESULTS: The review retrieved 35 eligible articles containing 63 ATs. The most common ATs were the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). Most of the ATs covered a single area of child development among behavioral/psychological, cognitive, and motor areas. A total of 159 ATs were found in manuals and thesis, and only 17 of them were already identified in the journal search. None of the ATs identified in both searches had been specifically developed for children with CNS tumor. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the need to develop and validate a global multidimensional AT for children with CNS tumor, overcoming the fragmentation of the assessment procedures and promoting standardized rehabilitation protocols.
Subject(s)
Central Nervous System Neoplasms/complications , Nervous System Diseases/etiology , Nervous System Diseases/rehabilitation , Neurological Rehabilitation , Neuropsychological Tests , Psychomotor Disorders/etiology , Psychomotor Disorders/rehabilitation , Central Nervous System Neoplasms/diagnosis , Central Nervous System Neoplasms/therapy , Child , Humans , Nervous System Diseases/diagnosis , Nervous System Diseases/therapy , Psychomotor Disorders/diagnosis , Psychomotor Disorders/therapy , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Field methodology and image analysis protocols using acoustic tomography were developed and evaluated as a tool to estimate the amount of internal decay and damage of living trees, with special attention to tropical rainforest trees with irregular trunk shapes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Living trunks of a diversity of tree species in tropical rainforests in the Republic of Panama were scanned using an Argus Electronic PiCUS 3 Sonic Tomograph and evaluated for the amount and patterns of internal decay. A protocol using ImageJ analysis software was used to quantify the proportions of intact and compromised wood. The protocols provide replicable estimates of internal decay and cavities for trees of varying shapes, wood density, and bark thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Sonic tomography, coupled with image analysis, provides an efficient, noninvasive approach to evaluate decay patterns and structural integrity of even irregularly shaped living trees.
