The impact of group occupational therapy using a cueing system on executive function of preschool-aged children with brain lesions.
Sang-Min Seo
PMID 29545709WHAT IT FOUND
After weekly occupational therapy with a graded cueing system, six preschool children with brain lesions improved on every executive function rating measure.
Because there was no control group, the change cannot be separated from normal development.
Key findings
01The six children showed significant improvements in all BRIEF-P domains, indices, and the global executive composite after therapy (p<0.05).
02The global executive composite T-score was 83.5 ± 13.2 at pre-test and 58.8 ± 7.7 at post-test.
03The improvements were reported after 24 weekly 50-minute therapy sessions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Only six children were studied, and there was no control group, so the authors say the findings cannot be generalized. The children had to sit independently, follow three-step instructions, and draw basic geometric figures, so the study says nothing about children who cannot do those things. The authors did not confirm the changes with classic neuropsychological tests such as card sorting or mazes. The study did not check whether improvement persisted after the program or changed daily activities. The outcome was a rating scale, and the paper does not report who rated the children or whether the rater was blinded.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the cueing system caused the executive function gains. The study had six children, no control group, and executive function develops throughout childhood, so maturation alone could explain some change.