The efficacy of early neurostimulation of development in the Wroclaw Model of Rehabilitation for Down’s syndrome children, as measured by bio-electric examinations of the brain

Witold Pilecki, Ludwika Sadowska, Monika Mysłek, Zbigniew Śliwiński

Witold Pilecki, Ludwika Sadowska, Monika Mysłek, Zbigniew Śliwiński – The efficacy of early neurostimulation of development in the Wroclaw Model of Rehabilitation for Down’s syndrome children, as measured by bio-electric examinations of the brain. Fizjoterapia Polska 2002; 2(2); 99-107

Abstract
Material and methods. Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) and visual evoked potentials (VEP) were examined in two groups of small children with Down syndrome (DZ), one group rehabilitated since birth in the Wrocław Model of Rehabilitation (WMU), and the other not rehabilitated. The findings were compared with an homologous control group of healthy children. Results. During the BAEP examinations, the latency of deflection I was analyzed, where delayed latency indicates reduced sensitivity to sound. The examinations showed a significantly higher percentage of poor results in the group of DS. children who were not rehabilitated (33.3% in the first examination and 27.3% during the control examination). In the group of children with DS rehabilitated since birth, the percentage was 5 times lower (5.4% at the beginning of rehabilitation and 3.8% after several months of rehabilitation), similar to the results achieved in the control group (3.3%). In the VEP examinations, the percentage of normal results after stimulation with a flash of light was low in the group of children not rehabilitated (34% on the first examination). In the group of rehabilitated children, 53% achieved completely normal results. In the control examination, in the group of children not rehabilitated, normalization was observed in only one case (of 5 examined children), whereas in the rehabilitated group normalization occurred in 6 out of 13 cases with previously abnormal results. Ultimately, normal results were achieved by 38% of the children not rehabilitated and 68% of the rehabilitated children. In the control group, 84% of the results were normal. Conclusion. In the case of children with Down’s Syndrome, the activity of the examined analyzers differs from healthy children. On the other hand, the improvement observed over time indicates that some normalization of function does occur in these analyzers, particularly in children subjected to neurostimulation since the first months of life.

Key words:
Down, brain evoked potentials, Wroclaw Model of Rehabilitation

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