Rehabilitation‐induced brain changes detected through magnetic resonance imaging in children with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review

Abstract

Aim The aim of this study was to systematically review evidence about rehabilitation‐induced neuroplasticity measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Method The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Two independent reviewers screened articles according to inclusion criteria: (1) peer‐review study published in a scientific journal; (2) studies that evaluated a rehabilitation‐based intervention; (3) participants aged less than 19 years with a neurodevelopmental disorder; and (4) studies that used at least one MRI modality as an outcome measure. Twenty‐seven studies met the criteria for the review and their quality was assessed by two independent reviewers using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool. Results Based on an assessment of bias and overall quality, 11% of the papers were rated as strong; 30% moderate; and 59% weak. Outcomes were categorized into structural connectivity, functional connectivity, cortical activation, and structural volume. Cortical activation and structural connectivity were the most commonly reported measures. Most studies were able to identify brain changes in children with neurodevelopmental disorders after therapy. Interpretations Rehabilitation is shown to induce MRI‐detectable neuroplastic changes in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Structural connectivity might need greater intensity and/or duration of intervention to induce change.

Brain functional connectivity in children with developmental coordination disorder following rehabilitation intervention

“…While knowledge of these brain sources of DCD has been beneficial to better understand the nature of this disorder, it is important to understand if rehabilitation intervention can induce neuroplastic change and improve outcomes. In a recent systematic review of rehabilitation-induced changes on MRI in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (i.e., ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, learning disorders), we did not find any studies that included children with DCD ± ADHD 7 . A few studies have investigated training-induced brain plasticity in children with DCD, but these studies did not include response to rehabilitation intervention 8 .…”

“X-8”: An Experimental Interactive Toy to Support Turn-Taking Games in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…Early rehabilitative interventions -possibly within the first years of life -have proved to be effective in ameliorating the severity of the condition. Probably due to the plasticity on the nervous system [5], behavioural treatments are in fact more effective at a young age, in stimulating and strenghtening the basic social competences which are critical for the cognitive development (e.g. imitation, eye-contact, joint attention [7]).…”

Acceptability of the Transitional Wearable Companion “+me” in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comparative Pilot Study

“…In this respect, several studies show how, on average, early rehabilitative interventions appear to be effective for toddlers with ASD (Bryson et al, 2003;Dawson et al, 2010;Reichow, 2012;Dawson, 2013;Neimy et al, 2017), both improving functional behavior and reducing the overall severity of the condition (Rogers, 1998). The effectiveness of early treatment is probably due to brain plasticity, namely the capacity of the central nervous system to modify both its function and structure in response to experience (Dawson, 2008;Calderoni et al, 2016;Izadi-Najafabadi et al, 2019), which presents maximal responsiveness in the critical period of childhood (Inguaggiato et al, 2017). Early treatment can indeed positively influence the development of important neural pathways within the social brain circuitry, especially if initiated before the full onset of core ASD symptoms (Webb et al, 2014).…”