Pediatric CI Therapy - An Interview with Dr. Stephanie C. DeLuca
by C. Bailey-Lloyd
As each day passes medical research communities strive to find alternative means of evaluating and treating specific conditions. One of those communities is comprised of a professional and highly educated team of PhDs at Alabama University at Birmingham located in Birmingham AL. Sharon Ramey PhD developer and head of research efforts (of Pediatric CI Therapy) with co-researchers Stephanie C. Deluca PhD K. Echols PhD. Pt. PCS and E. Taub PhD. broadened Pediatric CI investigations. Pediatric Constraint-Induced Therapy (also called Pediatric CI Therapy) was initiated to further advance treatment in children suffering from neuromotor disabilities. Funded by a grant from the Alabama Health Service Foundation the Pediatric Neuromotor Research Clinic was established and is now being co-directed by Drs. Echols and DeLuca.
CI Therapy also known as "Taub Therapy " was initially developed by Dr. Edward Taub Director of Taub Therapy Clinic in Birmingham AL. A medical innovation that is successful in over 95% of stroke patients in helping regain significant movement Taub therapy is an effective stroke rehabilitation therapy that consists of restricting the use of unaffected limbs to "rewire" neurons in the brain.
To explore Pediatric CI Therapy I asked Dr. Deluca a few questions about this particular therapy in an informal interview:
Q [C.Bailey-Lloyd] Could you explain exactly how the therapy works?
A [Stephanie C. DeLuca] The therapy is aimed at children who have asymmetric abilities with their upper extremities because of a lesion within the central nervous system. It involves casting the child's stronger arm and hand with a lightweight splint which the children wear 24 hours a day for 3 weeks. Children are then treated for 6 hours each day for 21 consecutive days.
Q [C. Bailey-Lloyd] What can one expect from this therapy and on average how long is treatment necessary?
A [Stephanie C. DeLuca] This varies from child to child and is dependent on the child's incoming abilities. But children routinely develop numerous new motor abilities with the weaker arm and hand. ...
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