Brain Lesions as a Predictor of Therapeutic Outcomes of Hand Function in Infants With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy

Aim:The present study aimed to investigate whether the response variability of infants to modified constraint-induced movement therapy and bimanual therapy are associated with different types of brain lesions.Method:Infants with unilateral cerebral palsy (N = 22) ages 8-15 months (mean = 10.95, standard deviation = 2.15 months) were grouped according to having either a periventricular brain lesion or a middle cerebral artery infarct lesion. Improvement in hand function was analyzed based on the mini–Assistive Hand Assessment results.Results:Infants with periventricular brain lesion displayed greater positive response to upper limb treatment compared to those with middle cerebral artery infarct (P = .02). A significant difference in improvement according to type of treatment was found in the middle cerebral artery infarct group but not in the periventricular brain lesion.Conclusion:The present study showed an association between the type of brain lesion and the efficacy of upper limb treatment in infants. ...