Long-term therapeutic effects of Katona therapy in moderate-to-severe perinatal brain damage

Abstract

Aim: To determine the long-term efficacy of Katona therapy and early rehabilitation of infants with moderate-to-severe perinatal brain damage (PBD).

Methods: Thirty-two participants were recruited (7-16 years) and divided into 3 groups: one Healthy group (n = 11), one group with PBD treated with Katona methodology from 2 months of corrected age, and with long-term follow-up (n = 12), and one group with PBD but without treatment in the first year of life due to late diagnosis of PBD (n = 9). Neuropediatric evaluations, motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and magnetic resonance images (MRI) were made. The PBD groups were matched by severity and topography of lesion.

Results: The patients treated with Katona had better motor performance when compared to patients without early treatment (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels; 75% of Katona group were classified in levels I and II and 78% of patients without early treatment were classified in levels III and IV). Furthermore, independent k-means cluster analyses of MRI, MEPs, and neuropediatric evaluations data were performed. Katona and non-treated early groups were classified in the same MRI cluster which is the expected for PBD population patients. However, in MEPs and neuropediatric evaluations clustering, the 67% of Katona group were assigned into Healthy group showing the impact of Katona therapy over the patients treated with it. These results highlight the Katona therapy benefits in early rehabilitation of infants with moderate-to-severe PBD.

Conclusions: Katona therapy and early rehabilitation have an important therapeutic effect in infants with moderate-to-severe PBD by decreasing the severity of motor disability in later stages of life.

Keywords: Cerebral palsy; Early treatment; Katona therapy; Magnetic resonance imaging; Motor evoked potentials; Perinatal brain damage.