Participation in Physical Activity, Fitness, and Risk for Obesity in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: A Cross-cultural Study.

Decreased physical activity has been linked to poor fitness and obesity, resulting in increased risk for health concerns. The objective is to study the relationships between children's motor coordination and their physical activity, sedentary behaviour, fitness and weight status in a cross-cultural study in the United States and Israel. Participants included 118 children 6-11 years of age: 53 children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and 65 typical children. The US sample included 31 DCD children and 44 typical children. The Israeli sample included 22 DCD children and 21 typical children. Participants were assessed on Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2, strength test of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2 and Six-minute Walk Test and wore an accelerometer. Parents completed physical activity questionnaires and demographic information. Body mass index was calculated based on height and weight. Testing took place in two sessions. Findings are that in both Israel and the United States, children with DCD demonstrated significantly reduced physical activity, increased sedentary behaviour, poorer fitness and increased overweight compared with typical children. No significant differences were found for country. With relevance to clinical practice, fitness and obesity are major concerns for children with DCD in both countries. Inclusion of occupational therapy in health promotion for this population is critical. Additional studies with testers blind to group, larger samples and other countries are recommended.

Relationship between motor skills, participation in leisure activities and quality of life of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: temporal aspects.

The study examined the relationship between motor skills, participation in leisure activities and quality of life (QOL), within a temporal context (school year vs. summer vacation and school days vs. weekends). Parents of 22 children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and of 55 typically developing children, aged 6-11, filled out two questionnaires relating to their children's participation in leisure activities (vigorous, moderate and sedentary) and QOL. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) was administered to their children. Results showed that among the children with DCD, balance scores positively correlated with participation in sedentary activities, and in both groups both balance and aiming and catching were related to the physical and school aspects of QOL. Furthermore, participation in vigorous activities in the summer was positively correlated with social and school QOL. In contrast, among typically developing children, participation in vigorous activities during the school year was negatively correlated with school QOL. Finally, in both groups, participation in sedentary activities during school days was negatively correlated with school QOL. These results suggest that the parents' perceptions of their children's QOL may be related to the level of activeness of the leisure activities but also to temporal aspects. Therefore, it is important that therapists and educators consider the temporal aspects, when consulting with parents and their children regarding participation in leisure activities.

Physical fitness and overweight in Israeli children with and without developmental coordination disorder: gender differences.

Physical fitness and overweight among children has become paramount in the general population and more so in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The purpose of the current study was to examine the association between physical fitness and overweight in a sample of Israeli children in comparison to typical children, and to examine gender differences. DCD was identified through total scores on the movement assessment battery for children 2 (MABC-2) equal to or less than the 16th percentile as well as parents' report that the child's deficits in motor skills interfered with at least two daily life activities. The sample included a group of children with DCD (n=22, M age=8.70 [SD=1.36], 16 boys [73%]) and a control group of typical children (n=47, M age=8.90 [SD=1.52], 34 boys [72%]). Measures included the strength subtest of the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency (BOT-2), the six minutes' walk test (6MWT) with heart rate measure, BMI and the percentage of body fat. Significant differences between DCD and typical children were found on all variables of physical fitness and weight. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis (group/gender) also revealed significant interactions for the percentage of body fat (F=8.51, p<.005) and BMI (F=4.50, p<.038) meaning that less fit children are more obese. The current study supports previous findings that children with DCD are less physically fit and more overweight compared to typically developing children. Moreover, in comparing between the genders, the girls in the study sample weighed more and had a significantly higher percentage of body fat than boys, it is essential to further our understanding of the relationships between obesity, physical fitness and gender among children with and without DCD.

Sensory clusters of toddlers with autism spectrum disorders: differences in affective symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) show variability in their sensory behaviors. In this study we identified clusters of toddlers with ASDs who shared sensory profiles and examined differences in affective symptoms across these clusters. METHOD: Using cluster analysis 170 toddlers with ASDs were grouped based on parent rating of the Infant Toddler Sensory Profile (Dunn, 2002) under-responsivity, over-responsivity, and seeking scales. Affective symptoms were evaluated with the Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (Carter & Briggs-Gowan, 2005). RESULTS: Three clusters were identified: (1) low frequency of sensory symptoms (n = 44); (2) high frequency of symptoms (n = 49); and (3) mixed (n = 77); high frequency of under-and over-responsivity and low frequency of seeking). Relative to the low frequency cluster, parents rated toddlers in the high frequency and mixed clusters (both characterized by high frequencies of sensory under- and over-responsivity) as higher on negative emotionality, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Sensory and affective differences among clusters remained after co-varying severity of ASD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Interdisciplinary assessments are recommended for toddlers with ASDs in order to identify the interplay of sensory and affective symptoms.

Time use in Russian Baby Homes.

BACKGROUND: We investigated time use of Russian children residing in Baby Homes to document their opportunities and experiences during institutional care. METHODS: Time use of 138 non-special needs, randomly selected children (65 female vs. 73 male, age 1 month to 4 years) in Baby Homes in Murmansk, Russia, was analysed. Baby Home specialists were trained in time-use spot observation methodology. Each child was observed every 10 min for 5 h (31 observations/child; >4000 data points). At each observation, we coded: who the child was with, adult role, what the child was doing, location and vocalizations. RESULTS: Children spent 50% of their time alone, 27% with a caregiver, 15% with another adult, and 7% with another child. Infants spent significantly more time alone (65%) than toddlers (43%) or pre-schoolers (46%) [F(2,133) = 13.05, P < 0.0001]. Caregivers supervised children (58%), led group activities (16%), cared for individuals (14%), or were absent from the room (12%). Children spent the most time (32%) in activities of daily living; remaining time was spent in meaningful play (27%), non-purposeful activity (16%) or sleep (18%). The percentage of time spent in meaningful play significantly increased across age groups [infants 10%, toddlers 25%, pre-schoolers 36%, F(2,133) = 26.9, P < 0.001]. Infants (23%) and toddlers (20%) spent significantly more time than the older group (10%) in non-purposeful activity [F(2,133) = 26.9, P < 0.001]. In 12% of observations, an adult was speaking to the child, in 10% to the group, and <1% to another adult. Child vocalizations varied by age: infants 42% of observations, toddlers 56%, and pre-schoolers 59%. Older children directed more vocalizations to adults than younger children [F(2,133) = 24.47, P < 0.001]. CONCLUSION: Time use of children residing in Baby Homes is limited by routinized schedules and care, at the expense of child-directed or interactive play with adults. Despite close proximity and living in group care, children's vocalizations and interactions with others are limited.

Non-recognized cause of intrathoracic bleeding.

The authors present a case report of bleeding from the small dissection of descending aorta. Patient, 71 year old woman, with severe comorbidities (nephrotic syndrome based on membraneous glomerulonephritis, diabetes mellitus, lung emphysema, hepatopathy, polyneuropathy and others). One month after last stay in hospital chemotherapy et corticotherapy. In while on heparin during hospitalization at nephrologic department, patient developed right side haemothorax and haemomediastinum. An urgent transfer to surgical department with cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed. The suspection of aneurysm on CT angioscan was non confirmed. The damage of oesophagus due to previous endoscopy (for chest pain) was non confirmed, too. During surgery masive sanquine effusion of mediastinum and right side haemothorax was found. The drainage and redrainage of the chest was performed. The cause of bleeding was not found. Critically ill patient had died and on autopsy a small dissection of thoracic aorta was found as a cause of bleeding. The problems of diagnosis and therapy are discussed. (Fig. 2, Ref. 7.)

[Pregnancy in myelodysplastic syndrome]. / Gravidita pri myelodysplastickém syndromeu.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the influence of myelodysplastic syndromee (MDS) on the course of pregnancy and delivery. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Gynecological and Obstetric Department 1st Medical Faculty Charles University and General Faculty Hospital, Prague. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The authors analyze their experience with the course of pregnancy and delivery in a patient with MDS and refractory anaemia who was treated on account of the disease for several years before pregnancy in the Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion. Pregnancy was not associated with progression of the basic disease and complications which developed during pregnancy were not associated with MDS. Pregnancy was terminated in this patient on account of preeclampsia gravis per sectionem caesarean by delivery of a healthy foetus. CONCLUSION: The example draws attention to a serious haematological disease while during pregnancy and delivery deterioration of the basic disease was not observed.

[Surgical treatment of bronchogenic carcinoma 1970-2001]. / Operacní lécba bronchogenního karcinomu v letech 1970-2001.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer (LC) is a permanent medical and social problem. 5709 patients died in the year 2000 of this disease in Czech Republic. Its incidence in men is 100/100,000 and it shows only small trend to decrease. In women the incidence has reached 22/100,000 and is still rising. The ratio males/females in the whole country is 4:1, in pulmonary department of University hospital Motol is close to 2:1. The optimal way of treatment is a surgery. METHODS AND RESULTS: From the data about diagnostics and operability in Pneumological Clinic of the 1st Medical Faculty of the Charles University (former 2nd Clinic of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases) and from adequate data obtained from the Pulmonary department of University hospital Motol we can see that the number of operated patients increased from 20% in 1970 to 28% in 2001. When compared two set of patients operated in the period 1985-1990 and 1998-2001 we learned the change of the ratio males/females (from 17:1 to 2:1), lower number of pneumonectomies (from 34% to 31%), lower number of exploratory thoracotomies (from 13% to 5%), decrease of perioperative mortality from 10% do 2%. The percentage of correct clinical when compared to pathological TNM staging was similar in both periods (55% in the period 1985-1990 and 53% in the period 1998-2001). In the article we describe also results of diagnostics, induction and adjuvant treatment and possibilities of the increase of operability of the patients with lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The authors think that despite some improvements in several parameters, the 5-year survival of patients with lung cancer is in our country and the whole world still unsatisfactory. We recommend the revision of current attitude to the screening of lung cancer and we recommend joining the running European-American trials of screening of such patients with the help of low-dose spiral CT.

[Organ torsion and abdominal symptoms--case reports]. / Torze orgánu a brisní symptomatologie--kazuistiky.

Torsions are rare acute abdominal conditions and are mistaken for other more frequent diseases. The present work draws attention to the most frequent diagnostic errors. The authors present three cases of torsions of intraabdominal organs and two cases of testicular torsion. All patients attended their doctor because of abdominal pain. In four of five cases the patients were first treated for an erroneous diagnosis of acute abdomen. In the first case the torsion of the omentum was mistaken for diverticulitis of the sigmoid, later for an intraperitoneal lipoma, in he second case for cholecystitis, in the third case a patient with torsion of a myoma was indicated for surgery on account of acute appendicitis. In the fourth case incomplete torsion of the testis was mistaken for irritation of the appendix. In the fifth case where abdominal symptomatology dominated the correct diagnosis of testicular torsion was made and atypically spontaneous detorsion of the testis occurred.

[Analgesic effect of videothoracoscopic splanchnicectomy]. / Analgetický efekt videotorakoskopické splanchnikektomie.

The authors demonstrate analgetic effect on a group of 32 patients operated for pancreatic cancer pain after videothoracoscopic splanchnikectomy. The authors define adequate criteria for selection of splanchnikectomy.

[Videothoracoscopy and video-assisted surgical procedures in penetrating injuries of the thorax]. / Videotorakoskopie a videoasistované chirurgické výkony u penetrujících poranení hrudníku.

Diagnosis and treatment of the penetrating injury of the chest is quite difficult. In all types/sizes of hospitals/these injuries has to be immediately treated in surgery departments. Often decision about the optimal treatment of these injuries is quite difficult. In this paper experience with 37 cases of penetrated trauma is presented. Authors defined adequate criteria for selection of the chest tube, videothoracoscopy, video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), emergency thoracotomy and thoracophrenolaparotomy.

Including the family perspective in sensory integration outcomes research.

Occupational therapy, along with other health and rehabilitation professions, is experiencing an increased emphasis on measurement of intervention outcomes. The results of outcomes research are being used to develop practice guidelines, set standards for reimbursement, and justify health care policy. The outcome assessments used by therapists reflect our belief systems and the assumptions about behaviors we expect to influence. Using a sensory integration perspective to illustrate key points, we present a conceptual framework that is based on the disablement framework and Coster's occupational functioning for children model. We highlight the need to examine each of the multiple levels at which intervention may influence child and family function and the links among levels. Sensory integration theory and efficacy studies are reviewed to identify assumptions relative to how sensory integration affects the everyday occupations of children in the context of their families. Potential research methods and assessments are suggested to include the family perspective in outcome studies.

Unilateral neglect in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

The purpose of this study was to examine the pattern of attentional deficits in children with right and left hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Unilateral neglect and visuospatial deficits are common findings following right brain injury in adults. It has been suggested by some that children may show a similar pattern. Children were tested on several paper-and-pencil measures of neglect. It was hypothesized that (a) on the left side of the page, children with left hemiplegia (right hemispheric damage) will score significantly lower than both the control group and the right hemiplegia group and (b) on the right side of the page, there will be no significant difference between the control group and the right and left hemiplegic groups. Participants included 32 children with cerebral palsy, 15 with left hemiplegia, 17 with right hemiplegia, and 32 matched controls. The ages ranged from 5 years 10 months to 12 years 6 months; all had normal intelligence. Inventories included 3 subtests of the Conventional part of the Behavioral Inattention Test, the Mesulam Symbol Cancellations tests, and the Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure, copy and recall. Analysis indicated that children with left hemiplegia scored significantly more poorly than controls on seven of the eight measures on the left side of the page, but they did not consistently score more poorly than children with right hemiplegia. Moreover, the poorer performance of the children with left hemiplegia was not specific only to the left side of the page; they also scored significantly lower than the controls on five of the eight measures on the right side. These findings suggest that children with left hemiplegia may have relatively greater attentional and perceptual problems than children with right hemiplegia, but they do not clearly indicate a left unilateral neglect. Results also indicate that children with right hemiplegia have attentional and perceptual problems relative to controls, particularly on the more complex tasks of high demand.

Comparison of the performance of younger and older adults on three versions of a puzzle reproduction task.

OBJECTIVES: Because constructional ability is a crucial perceptual-motor skill that relates to daily functioning, it should be accurately assessed in clients with neurological dysfunction. This study examined three versions of the Puzzle Reproduction task (a constructional ability task) of the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) in order to determine whether a reduced-detail version of the task would be easier (i.e., require less time to complete) than the original version and whether a subplacement version would be more difficult to perform (i.e., require more time to complete) than the original version. In addition, the study examined whether older adult subjects would perform more slowly than younger adult subjects. METHODS: Seventy-two right-handed adults with no disabilities were divided into two age groups: 18 to 30 years old (n = 36) and 58 to 70 years old (n = 36). Each subject was tested on one of three versions of the LOTCA Puzzle Reproduction task (i.e., original subplacement, simplified). RESULTS: For the older subjects, the simplified version of the task required significantly less time than the original version, although there was not a significant time difference between the original and subplacement versions. For the younger subjects, the subplacement versions. required significantly more time than the original version, but there was no significant time difference between the original and simplified versions. Results also indicated that older subjects took significantly longer to perform all three versions of the task than did the younger subjects. CONCLUSION: The findings support the use of the simplified version of the LOTCA Puzzle Reproduction task with older adults or with persons with major cognitive-perceptual difficulties. Further studies of the level of difficulty of the subplacement version are needed to examine whether this version is more sensitive to constructional deficits in a sample of person with neurological impairments because even mild constructional deficits have been shown to relate to disabilities in daily functioning.

Sensory processing in the postinstitutionalized child.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine whether children adopted from Romanian orphanages have difficulty with sensory processing and related behaviors. METHOD: Seventy-three children adopted from Romanian orphanages were compared with 72 peers who were typically developing. The subjects' ages ranged from 3 to 6 years. The parent-report Developmental and Sensory Processing Questionnaire was used to assess sensory processing and related behaviors. The tool consists of questions in six sensory processing domains and five related behavioral domains. RESULTS: Multiple t tests indicated that the subjects adopted from Romanian orphanages demonstrated significantly greater problems than those in the control group on five of the six sensory processing domains: touch, movement-avoids, movement-seeks, vision, and audition. Additionally, the Romanian subjects exhibited significantly greater problems than the control subjects on four of the five behavioral domains: activity level, feeding, organization, and social-emotional. CONCLUSIONS: These findings substantiate clinical observations and parent reports of sensory processing deficits in children adopted from Romanian orphanages and highlight the critical importance of the environment for sensory integration. The findings also enhance our understanding of how children who were previously institutionalized respond to the human and physical environment.

[Dual-chamber rate-regulated cardiac pacing is aiming toward automatic pacemakers]. / Dvoudutinová frekvencne reagující kardiostimulace smeruje k automatickému stimulátoru.

DDDR cardiac pacemakers meet the demand of the two main goals of modern cardiac pacing enauring both the synchronization of atriums and ventricles and the frequency response to physical exercise. In this way they simulate the normal heart rhythm behaviour best of all pacemakers in use. Since 1992 through 1995 the DDDR pacemakers were implanted in 27 patients aged 20-79 (mean 59.9) years in our pacemaker centre. The follow-up period has amounted to 46 months. 26 patients suffered from advanced sinus syndrome with the chronotropic incompetence and with the atrioventricular block, the remaining young man was given the pacemaker because of congenital atrioventricular block. In one patient epicardial leads implanted by thoracotomy have been used. After the wound had healed and the pulse energy had been reduced, the pacemaker bearers underwent the stepwise symptoms limited bicycle or treadmill stress test. During the follow-up the incidence of particular complications was assessed. In comparison with the DDD mode without the sensor, the DDDR pacemakers exhibiting the rate adaptation did improve the working capacity in particular patients in the stress test. (Tab. 1, Fig. 5, Ref. 16).

Supervision and consultation services for pediatric occupational therapists.

OBJECTIVE: Occupational therapists with advanced experience or expertise provide supervision and consultation services in a variety of settings. This pilot study examined the use of such supervision and consultation services by pediatric occupational therapists. METHOD: Special education administrators and pediatric occupational therapists from Massachusetts, a state often regarded as a leader in special education, responded to surveys designed especially for this study. These surveys asked about current supervision and consultation use, satisfaction with present services, and the need for additional resources in this area. Opinions regarding practice areas that would best be addressed by supervision and consultation were also obtained. RESULTS: Both administrator and therapist respondents agreed that expert occupational therapy supervision and consultation are needed. Identified areas of interest were classroom supervision and consultation strategies, service delivery decisions, and evaluation methods. CONCLUSION: Pediatric occupational therapists need expert supervision and consultation from occupational therapists with advanced experience or expertise in addition to traditional management, education, and training methods.

Effects of left-sided movements on line bisection in unilateral neglect.

Thirteen patients with left neglect performed line bisection under four conditions: no cue, visual cueing involving the report of a digit placed at the left end of the line, circling the left-end digit, and digit circling plus tracing of the line with the right index finger from its left end to its midpoint before bisection. Digit circling plus finger tracing was unequivocally more effective in reducing left neglect than digit circling alone, which was in turn more effective than visual cueing; indeed, digit circling with tracing completely abolished the rightward bisection bias. Thus continuously directing visuomotor control to the left side of the line (even with the right hand) until bisection is performed reduces neglect more than only requiring patients to attend to left-sided visual cues. The facilitatory effects of the cueing procedures may reflect their differential efficacy in constraining as well as attracting attention and action to the left part of the target line. These findings have implications for neglect rehabilitation.

Performance of Americans and israelis with cerebrovascular accident on the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA).

OBJECTIVE: The Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) measures the cognitive performance of persons with cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Although this assessment was developed and standardized in Israel, it is frequently used in the United States. The purpose of this study was to identify whether differences in performance on the LOTCA existed between Americans and Israelis who have had strokes. Additionally, this study was designed to compare the performance of persons with right CVA with the performance of persons with left CVA because the normative data for the LOTCA does not include separate information for these two groups. METHOD: The LOTCA was administered to 25 Americans with CVA (19 right CVA and 6 left CVA) and 56 Israelis with CVA (26 right CVA and 30 left CVA). RESULTS: On the majority of LOTCA subtests, there were no significant differences between American and Israeli subjects. Only one subtest, Orientation to Time, revealed significant differences between Americans and Israeli subjects both for subjects with right CVA and subjects with left CVA. Examination of subjects with right CVA versus subjects with left CVA also indicated few differences. Only one subtest, Pegboard Construction, revealed significant differences between subjects with right CVA and subjects with left CVA for both American and Israeli subjects. CONCLUSION: The LOTCA is an appropriate tool for occupational therapists to use in assessing Americans who have had strokes. In addition, for the most part, the subtests of the LOTCA assess cognitive-perceptual abilities that are not specific to the right or left cerebral hemisphere.

Visual perception and praxis in adults after stroke.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the performance of persons with right cerebrovascular accident (RCVA) and persons with left cerebrovascular accident (LCVA) on a variety of measures of praxis and visual perception in order to examine the relative contributions of the left and right cerebral hemispheres to praxis and perception. METHODS: Forty-five subjects, 15 with RCVA, 15 with LCVA, and 15 without CVA (control subjects), were tested on three tests of praxis-praxic production, gesture comprehension, and gesture discrimination-and selected tests of visual perception, including the Judgement of Line Orientation Test, the Motor Free Visual Perception Test, the Hooper Visual Organization Test, and the Line Bisection Test. RESULTS: Subjects in both groups with CVA performed more poorly on all of the tests than did control subjects. The group with LCVA performed most poorly on tests of gesture comprehension and praxis production, whereas the group with RCVA performed most poorly on tests of gesture discrimination and visual perception. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that both the right and left cerebral hemispheres contribute to different aspects of praxis. Elements of visual perception may be related to gesture comprehension, gesture discrimination, and praxis production in adults who have had stroke. These findings have clinical implications regarding instructional style and perceptual and praxic training.