START-Play Physical Therapy Intervention Indirectly Impacts Cognition Through Changes in Early Motor-Based Problem-Solving Skills
Date
2023-07
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Pediatric Physical Therapy
Abstract
Purpose:
This study tested whether the Sitting Together and Reaching to Play (START-Play) physical therapy intervention indirectly impacts cognition through changes in perceptual-motor skills in infants with motor delays.
Methods:
Participants were 50 infants with motor delays randomly assigned to START-Play plus Usual Care Early Intervention (UC-EI) or UC-EI only. Infants' perceptual-motor and cognitive skills were assessed at baseline and 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 months post-baseline.
Results:
Short-term changes in sitting, fine motor skills, and motor-based problem-solving, but not reaching, predicted long-term changes in cognition. START-Play indirectly impacted cognition through motor-based problem-solving but not sitting, reaching, or fine motor skills.
Conclusions:
This study provided preliminary evidence that early physical therapy interventions that blend activities across developmental domains and are supported by an enriched social context can place infants on more optimal developmental trajectories.
Description
This is the Accepted Manuscript version of the article originally published in Pediatric Physical Therapy. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1097/PEP.0000000000001016. © 2023 Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association. This article will be embargoed until 7/1/2024.
Keywords
cognitive development, early intervention, infant development, motor development, neuromotor delays, problem-solving
Citation
Koziol, Natalie A. PhD; Kretch, Kari S. PT, DPT, PhD; Harbourne, Regina T. PT, PhD, FAPTA; Lobo, Michele A. PT, PhD; McCoy, Sarah W. PT, PhD; Molinini, Rebecca PT; Hsu, Lin-Ya PT, PhD; Babik, Iryna PhD; Cunha, Andrea Baraldi PT, PhD; Willett, Sandra L. PhD, PT, PCS; Bovaird, James A. PhD; Dusing, Stacey C. PT, PhD, FAPTA. START-Play Physical Therapy Intervention Indirectly Impacts Cognition Through Changes in Early Motor-Based Problem-Solving Skills. Pediatric Physical Therapy 35(3):p 293-302, July 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000001016