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PurposeThe purpose of this study was to evaluate inter-rater reliability and validity of a proposed functional outcome battery for clinical trials in children with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS).MethodsTen children were evaluated twice on the same day using a series of functional outcome measures selected for sensitivity to the range of age and function of children with SWS: Modified Rankin Scale, Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Index, Modified House Functional Classification, and a modified version of the Erhardt Developmental Prehension Assessment. Inter-rater reliability was calculated, and criterion validity was explored through correlations with the Sturge-Weber Syndrome-Neurological Rating Score (SWS-NRS).ResultsInter-rater reliability was high across all measures. Correlations were identified between the SWS-NRS and the study measures.ConclusionsThe proposed battery of functional outcome measures captures child's functioning at the levels of impairment, activity and participation and is robust to evaluation by different raters and across sessions on the same day. This battery is expected to be sensitive to treatment-related changes in qualitative patterns of hand use, functional skills, and/or change in independence in daily living.

Current evidence supports the efficacy of pediatric constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT) for toddlers and children but little has been published about its use in early intervention with children eighteen months and younger. This paper and case report describes the clinical experience of developing and executing a modified pediatric CIMT intervention with infants under 18 months old. This is an emerging area of practice that is showing positive trends with initial cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]