Background: The study of children with unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP) has traditionally focused on motor aspects. The extent to which sensory processing disorders can affect their functional performance and quality of life (QoL) is uncertain. This study aimed to explore the differences in sensory processing between UCP and typical development (TD) children and to analyze the relationship of sensory processing with functional performance and QoL. Methods: Fifty-three children aged from 6 to 15 years (TD = 24; UCP = 26) were recruited. The Child Sensory Profile 2, Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory—Computer Adaptive Test and Kidscreen were used to evaluate sensory processing, functional performance and QoL. Results: UCP children showed sensory processing difficulties (avoidance: p = 0.02; registration: p = 0.00; body position: p = 0.00; oral: p = 0.02; social-emotional: p = 0.01), and scored lower in functional performance (daily activities: p = 0.00; mobility: p = 0.00; social/cognitive: p = 0.04) and in physical well-being (p = 0.00). The highest correlations in UCP group were found between proprioceptive processing and daily activities and mobility (r = −0.39); auditory, visual and tactile information and school environment (r = −0.63; r = −0.51; r = −0.46); behavioral and social-emotional responses and psychological well-being (r = −0.64; r = −0.49). Conclusions: UCP children have greater difficulty in sensory processing than TD children. Difficulties in proprioceptive processing contribute to poorer functional performance. Auditory, visual and tactile processing is associated with participation in the school environment and behavioral and social-emotional responses related to sensory processing are associated with the psychological well-being.

Introducción: La evaluación de las actividades y la participación son dos elementos claves en la funcionalidad del miembro superior (MS) para el proceso de neurorrehabilitación. Conocer la evaluación que realizan los/as profesionales de la terapia ocupacional puede ser de utilidad para la rehabilitación. Por tanto, el objetivo principal del estudio fue describir el proceso de evaluación del MS en adultos con daño cerebral adquirido (DCA), realizado por terapeutas ocupacionales en España. Métodos: Se diseñó un estudio transversal con terapeutas ocupacionales españoles que trataban el MS en pacientes con DCA mediante una encuesta online, entre marzo y mayo del 2020. En ella, se recogió información sobre variables sociodemográficas, formativas, laborales y sobre el proceso de evaluación. Resultados: Un total de 47 terapeutas ocupacionales de una edad mediana de 31 años y mayoritariamente mujeres participaron en el estudio. El 57% reportó dedicar menos del 25% de su jornada a la tarea de evaluación. Se identificaron 110 escalas de evaluación, de las cuales el 62% se dedicaban a evaluar funciones y estructuras, el 19% actividades y 19% a participación. Las herramientas más utilizadas fueron Fulg Meyer Assessment, Nine Hole Peg Test y Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand. Conclusiones: El tiempo dedicado a la evaluación fue escaso y un pequeño porcentaje de terapeutas ocupacionales evaluaron las actividades y participación.

Among solid tumours, medulloblastoma is the most common of the posterior fossa neoplasms, given that it represents 15%-20% of childhood brain tumours. The main aim of the present study was to assess the effects of action observation training on the activities of daily living (ADL) and the manipulation skills of children with acquired brain injury secondary to an oncological process. Methods: We recruited a consecutive convenience sample of 5 patients diagnosed with acquired brain injury secondary to an oncological process. ADL and manipulation skills were assessed using the ABILHAND-Kids and Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test, respectively. After conducting the initial evaluation, we planned the intervention, which lasted 10 weeks and consisted of 40 sessions for each participant, 10 in the occupational therapy department and 30 at home. After completing the intervention, we re-evaluated the main variables. Results: Overall, the results of the postintervention ABILHAND-Kids questionnaire showed a 5-point improvement, with a statistically significant difference and a large effect size. Eighty per cent of the sample showed better results in the total score, with differences between 4 and 8 points. In relation to manual dexterity, as measured by the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test, there were no significant changes, except in one of the participants. Conclusion: It appears that action observation training can elicit positive changes with respect to the development of ADL, but the influence on manual dexterity was almost nonexistent.

Introducción: El envejecimiento es un proceso universal que conduce a un deterioro funcional y a la pérdida de la capacidad de adaptación de manera progresiva. En España hay actualmente casi nueve millones de personas mayores. Objetivo: Determinar la relación existente entre el funcionamiento cognitivo, la función sensitiva de estereognosia y la destreza manipulativa en personas mayores en ausencia de deterioro cognitivo diagnosticado. Diseño: Investigación básica, observacional, descriptiva, transversal, de corte prospectivo y de naturaleza cuantitativa. Participantes: 28 participantes (n=28). Intervenciones: Se llevó a cabo una única evaluación en un único momento. La recogida de muestra se realizó entre los meses de febrero y abril de 2019. El proceso de evaluación constó de tres pruebas que se administraron siguiendo un orden determinado: Dynamic Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment For Geriatric Use (DLOTCA-G) para evaluar funciones cognitivas, subprueba de estereognosia del Nottingham Sensory Assessment (NSA) y Nine Hole Peg Test (9HPT) para evaluar la destreza manipulativa. Resultados: Se obtuvo como resultado que existe una relación entre el aumento de edad y el empeoramiento de la destreza manipulativa, hallándose una débil correlación entre la puntuación en pruebas que evalúan la memoria y el tiempo empleado en completar pruebas de destreza manipulativa y que existe una relación entre la edad y las puntuaciones de las pruebas cognitivas que requieren secuenciación y construcción en dos dimensiones. Conclusión: Las personas mayores obtuvieron tiempos más altos y variables en las pruebas de estereognosia y tienen mayor probabilidad de no reconocer todos los objetos o la forma de los mismos.

Acquired brain injury (ABI) is the third leading cause of death in Spain. The disability derived from ABI can include considerable difficulties in upper-limb use due to somatosensory deficits. One of the assessments most commonly used to evaluate ABI is the Nottingham Sensory Assessment (NSA); however, there is no complete psychometric analysis or standardized version in Spanish. We aimed to develop and validate a Spanish version of the stereognosis component of the NSA for evaluating Spanish adults with ABI via a single-center, observational, cross-sectional study. The Spanish version of the NSA was developed in two steps. The first was based on the standardization and collection of normative data in 120 asymptomatic participants. For the second, we recruited 25 participants with ABI to establish concurrent criterion-related validity, internal consistency, and floor/ceiling effects. Criterion validity was assessed against two-point discrimination and tactile-localization tests. Our normative data showed significant differences among the various age groups (p < 0.05), supporting the validity of the Spanish-version assessment. For the ABI sample, we also found further evidence of validity with Spearman’s rho coefficient between the total scores and the two-point discrimination and tactile-localization tests, which showed low and moderate correlations (rho = 0.50–0.75, p < 0.05). Internal consistency was excellent, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.91. No ceiling or floor effects were found. We conclude that the stereognosis component of the NSA in its Spanish version is a valid scale that can be used to comprehensively and accurately assess stereognosis capacity in adults with ABI. As a low-cost evaluation, this assessment has great potential to be widely used in clinical practice and research settings.