Cross-cultural adaptation, validity, and reliability of the Turkish version of Assistance to Participate Scale.

BACKGROUND: The Assistance to Participate Scale is a questionnaire to evaluate activity participation of children with developmental disabilities. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Assistance to Participate Scale. METHODS: Ninety-eight mothers' children with developmental disabilities were included in this study. The Assistance to Participate Scale, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory were applied to all subjects. To evaluate reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficient, minimal detectable change (MDC) with standard error of measurement (SEM), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for test-retest were used. The relationship between Assistance to Participate Scale, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory was investigated, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used for construct validity. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha value of the scale was found.93, demonstrating that this value has excellent internal consistency. Test-retest reliability was found 0.99 (ICC 95% CI [0.995, 0.998]; SEM:0.57, MDC:1.58). For construct validity, the correlations between Assistance to Participate Scale, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory total scores and items were significant (p < .001). Factor analysis showed that the questionnaire had unidimensional and the explained variance was 0.84%. CONCLUSIONS: The Turkish version of the Assistance to Participate Scale is valid and reliable scale for children with developmental disabilities.

Short- and long-term effects of an inhibitor hand splint in poststroke patients: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of a hand splint with reflex inhibitory characteristics on balance and functional ambulation activities by means of a randomly allocated controlled study. METHODS: Nineteen chronic stroke patients were randomly allocated to the control (n = 9) and study (n = 10) groups to compare the immediate and long-term effects of a splint with reflex inhibitory characteristics. The patients in the splinted group were asked to wear their splints at least 2 hours each day, during ambulation or when they felt the need. Subjects were evaluated initially and after 2, 4, and 6 months of splint usage with the Berg Balance Scale, Functional Reach test (FR), Timed Up & Go test (TUG), and L test. The same tests were used to evaluate the control group. RESULTS: Timed within-group assessments showed no difference in the control group across the time interval. A favorable difference was detected in some of the evaluations for FR, TUG, and L test in the study group. Intergroup comparisons showed that the only difference between the groups was seen for TUG values at the fourth assessment in favor of the study group. Qualitative evaluations showed that the patients were compliant and generally satisfied with their splints. CONCLUSION: Hand splints with reflex inhibitory characteristics have no significant effect on balance and functional ambulation activities in chronic poststroke patients. Further studies investigating their effect on pain and associated reactions in this patient population are warranted.

The effects of dynamic ankle-foot orthoses in chronic stroke patients at three-month follow-up: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the short- and long-term effects of dynamic ankle foot orthoses on functional ambulation activities in chronic hemiparetic patients. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: University's neurological rehabilitation outpatient clinic and orthotics department. SUBJECTS: Twenty-eight chronic hemiparetic patients of level 3-5 according to Functional Ambulation Classification and with a maximum spasticity level of 3 according to Modified Ashworth Scale, were randomly assigned to the study and control groups. INTERVENTIONS: The control group (n = 14) was assessed with tennis shoes whereas the study group (n = 14) was assessed initially with tennis shoes and after three months with dynamic ankle foot orthosis. MEASURES: Functional Reach, Timed Up and Go, Timed Up Stairs, Timed Down Stairs, gait velocity and Physiological Cost Index. RESULTS: In the initial assessment no difference was found between the groups for any of the measured parameters (P > 0.05). After three months, intergroup comparisons while the patients in the study group were wearing dynamic ankle-foot orthosis showed a significant difference in favour of the study group for Timed Up Stairs 12.00 (10.21) seconds study versus 15.00 (7.29) seconds control group; for gait velocity 0.99 (0.45) m/s study versus 0.72 (0.20) m/s control group and for Physiological Cost Index 0.12 (0.06) beats/min study versus 0.28 (0.13) beats/min control group (P < 0.05). No difference was found between the groups for Functional Reach, Timed Up and Go, Timed Down Stairs (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Chronic hemiparetic patients may benefit from using dynamic ankle-foot orthosis.

Short-term results of intensive physiotherapy in clubfoot deformity treated with the Ponseti method.

PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the efficacy of the physical therapy program as an adjunct to the Ponseti technique in the treatment of idiopathic clubfoot. This study was carried out with the presumption of a difference in results between the study group who were included in the physiotherapy program and the control group who performed home exercises. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Forty affected feet of 29 patients were included in the study. The average ages of the control and study groups were 15.00 ± 21.33 and 20.30 ± 15.78 months, respectively. Passive range of motion of dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, inversion, eversion, rear foot varus angle and forefoot adduction angle were measured and the Dimeglio classification system was utilized in order to determine the severity of clubfoot deformity. Reassessments were carried out for the study group at the end of 1 month's therapy and for the control group during the first month follow-up. RESULTS: Comparison of pre- and post-treatment assessment results revealed a difference in terms of recovery, concerning all parameters except passive inversion values in the study group and for all parameters in the control group (P < 0.05). For study and control group comparisons, since deformity severity was higher in the study group an effect size analysis was carried out. The effect size analysis showed that the change in range of motion of dorsiflexion and Dimeglio and decrease of rear foot varus angle was higher in the study group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study imply that an intensive physiotherapy program may enhance the effectiveness of the Ponseti protocol.