VESTIBULAR STIMULATION AND RETARDED INFANT DEVELOPMENT

运动发育迟缓是儿童中的一个众所周知的现象 患有各种出生缺陷和发育障碍。很少有治疗方法 已经被确定将可靠和显著地增强发动机 以及残疾婴儿的反射发育。然而，最近的研究 表明特定的前庭旋转刺激可以产生 迟缓婴儿运动和反射发育的积极变化。 初步证据表明，一些前导儿童表现出 唐氏综合征、脑瘫和未分化出生缺陷得到改善 在运动和反射发育方面显著改善 半规管刺激。这项计划的目的是：(A) 三组婴幼儿前庭刺激效果的研究 (正常发育、唐氏综合症和脑性瘫痪)，样本量 足以对前庭的不同响应性做出推断 刺激，(B)对这些婴儿进行纵向研究，以便将 来自成熟变量的治疗效果，并确定 干预的长期效果，(C)测量运动、反射、 生理和认知功能，以及(D)研究 运动发育和婴儿刻板印象的动作之间的关系。20个 唐氏综合征，20例脑性瘫痪，20例正常发展的前导 年龄在0.5岁到2.5岁之间的婴儿将作为交叉实验的对象 允许组间和受试者内的纵向设计 比较。该项目将由两个阶段组成，每个阶段各一半 每个阶段的受试者群体。在第二阶段，受试者 将每隔3个月进行一次跟踪，以确定 前庭治疗。前测、中期和后测措施包括 运动和反射量表，环境兴趣清单，贝利 量表、家长问卷和几项生理测量，包括 旋转后眼震，心率，心率变异性，呼吸， 血压、体重和肌肉张力。前庭功能障碍的治疗 刺激包括让孩子旋转10个一分钟的时间段 在机动器械中不同身体位置的旋转。会议 将在两周内进行10次，期间在4个不同场合进行 实验阶段。

Slowed motor development is a well-known phenomenon among children who suffer varied birth defects and developmental disabilities. Few treatments have been identified that will reliably and significantly enhance the motor and reflex development of disabled babies. However, recent studies indicate that specific rotational vestibular stimulation may produce positive changes in motor and reflex development among delayed infants. Preliminary evidence suggests that some preambulatory children exhibiting Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and undifferentiated birth defects improve significantly in motor and reflex development following a regimen of semicircular canal stimulation. The purposes of this project are: (a) to study the effects of vestibular stimulation in three groups of babies (normally developing, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy) with sample sizes sufficient to make inferences about differential responsivity to vestibular stimulation, (b) to study these babies longitudinally in order to separate treatment effects from maturational variables and to determine the long-term effects of the intervention, (c) to measure motor, reflex, physiological and cognitive functions, and (d) to study the relationship between motor development and the stereotyped movements of the babies. 20 Down syndrome, 20 cerebral palsy, and 20 normally developing preambulatory babies between .5 and 2.5 years will serve as subjects in a cross-over longitudinal design that will permit between-groups and within-subjects comparisons. The project will consist of two phases, with half of each subject population in each phase. During the second phase, the subjects will be followed at 3-month intervals to ascertain the long-term effects of the vestibular treatment. Pretest, interim, and posttest measures include motor and reflex scales, an environmental interest inventory, the Bayley Scales, parent questionnaires, and several physiological measures including postrotary nystagmus, heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration, blood pressure, weight and muscle tone. A treatment session of vestibular stimulation consists of rotating the child 10 one-minute periods of rotation in different body positions in a motorized apparatus. Sessions will be conducted 10 times over 2 weeks, on 4 different occasions during the experimental phase.