Combining balance-training interventions with other active interventions may enhance effects on postural control in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Improvement of postural control in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy is a primary goal in child rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: A systematic review investigated whether combining balance-training interventions with other active interventions enhances the effects of the active intervention alone on postural control of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. METHODS: Searches were performed in MEDLINE, PEDro, CINAHL, Cochrane and EMBASE databases without date or language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials investigating the combination of balance-training interventions with other active interventions on the postural control of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy were included. Two independent reviewers screened studies, extracted data, and assessed methodological quality of included studies. Meta-analysis was conducted, and quality of the evidence followed the GRADE methodology. Pooled data were presented using standardized mean difference and 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Seven studies involving 194 participants were included in this review. A large additional effect on postural control was found when balance-training interventions were combined with Neurodevelopmental Treatment at short-term (standardized mean difference of 1.3; 95% confidence interval 0.5, 2.0, p=0.001). The quality of the evidence was very low due to publication bias, imprecision and inconsistency. CONCLUSION: Combining balance-training interventions with other active interventions may enhance effects on postural control of this population at short-term. As the estimated effect had only very low quality of evidence to support it, larger studies with low risk of bias are needed.

Cultural adaptation and reliability analysis of the early clinical assessment of balance / Adaptação cultural e análise da confiabilidade da early clinical assessment of balance

ABSTRACT Objective: To translate the Early Clinical Assessment of Balance (ECAB), an assessment scale developed specifically for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy into Brazilian Portuguese, evaluate semantic, idiomatic, experiential and conceptual equivalences, and to examine the face validity and the reliability within and between examiners of the Brazilian version. Methods: The following steps were done: translation by two independent translators; synthesis of translations; back translation into English; analysis of back-translations by a multidisciplinary committee and the author of the test to develop the final version of the test; test application training; administration of the translated version of ECAB (videotaped) in 60 children and adolescents with cerebral palsy; intra and inter-examiner reliability assessment. Reability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (CCI). Results: The discrepancies found were related mainly to semantic equivalence and, therefore, there was no need to make cultural adaptations in any of the 13 items on the scale. The rate of agreement was greater than 90% and the reliability of the ECAB-Portuguese total score was excellent both for the intra-rater test (CCI=1.00) and for the inter-rater test (CCI=0.998). Likewise, the reliability evaluation of each of the scale items was also excellent. Conclusions: The translated version of the ECAB into Portuguese provides a tool for the evaluation of the specific balance for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy with different levels of functioning.

RESUMO Objetivo: Traduzir a Early Clinical Assessment of Balance (ECAB), escala de avaliação do equilíbrio desenvolvida especificamente para crianças e adolescentes com paralisia cerebral (PC) para a língua portuguesa do Brasil; avaliar as equivalências semânticas, idiomáticas, experiencial e conceituais; e examinar a validade de face e a confiabilidade intra e interavaliadores da versão brasileira. Métodos: Estudo envolveu tradução do instrumento por dois tradutores independentes; síntese das traduções; retrotradução para o inglês; análise das retrotraduções por um comitê multidisciplinar; treinamento; administração da versão traduzida da ECAB (gravadas em vídeo) em 60 crianças e adolescentes com PC; e avaliação da confiabilidade intra e interexaminadores. A confiabilidade foi avaliada por meio do coeficiente de correlação intraclasse (CCI). Resultados: As discrepâncias encontradas foram referentes principalmente à equivalência semântica e, portanto, não houve necessidade da realização de adaptações culturais em nenhum dos 13 itens da escala. A taxa de concordância foi maior que 90%, e a confiabilidade do escore total da ECAB-português foi excelente tanto para o teste intra-avaliador (CCI=1,00) quanto para interavaliadores (CCI=0,998). Da mesma forma, a avaliação da confiabilidade de cada um dos itens da escala também foi excelente. Conclusões: A versão traduzida da ECAB para o português disponibiliza, para os profissionais da reabilitação infantil, um instrumento confiável de avaliação do equilíbrio específico para crianças e adolescentes com PC com diferentes níveis de funcionalidade.

CULTURAL ADAPTATION AND RELIABILITY ANALYSIS OF THE EARLY CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF BALANCE.

OBJECTIVE: To translate the Early Clinical Assessment of Balance (ECAB), an assessment scale developed specifically for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy into Brazilian Portuguese, evaluate semantic, idiomatic, experiential and conceptual equivalences, and to examine the face validity and the reliability within and between examiners of the Brazilian version. METHODS: The following steps were done: translation by two independent translators; synthesis of translations; back translation into English; analysis of back-translations by a multidisciplinary committee and the author of the test to develop the final version of the test; test application training; administration of the translated version of ECAB (videotaped) in 60 children and adolescents with cerebral palsy; intra and inter-examiner reliability assessment. Reability was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (CCI). RESULTS: The discrepancies found were related mainly to semantic equivalence and, therefore, there was no need to make cultural adaptations in any of the 13 items on the scale. The rate of agreement was greater than 90% and the reliability of the ECAB-Portuguese total score was excellent both for the intra-rater test (CCI=1.00) and for the inter-rater test (CCI=0.998). Likewise, the reliability evaluation of each of the scale items was also excellent. CONCLUSIONS: The translated version of the ECAB into Portuguese provides a tool for the evaluation of the specific balance for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy with different levels of functioning.