Neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) is widely used by clinicians when working with children diagnosed with neurological dysfunction, such as cerebral palsy, high-risk/low-birthweight infants or traumatic brain injury.
Full Answer
What is Neurodevelopmental treatment in physical therapy?
Neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) is a hands-on treatment approach used by physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists. NDT was developed to enhance the function of adults and children who have difficulty controlling movement as a result of neurological challenges, such as cerebral palsy, stroke, and head injury.
What is the NDT approach to special education?
May 01, 2001 · Abstract. Neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) is widely used by clinicians when working with children diagnosed with neurological dysfunction, such as cerebral palsy, high-risk/low-birthweight infants or traumatic brain injury. The objective of this project was to determine the efficacy of NDT, used with a group of paediatric subjects diagnosed with a …
Who should use NDT for cerebral palsy treatment?
Originated by Karel and Berta Bobath in the 1960s, NDT has since evolved to incorporate emerging theories of sensorimotor learning, and uses guided or facilitated movements as a treatment strategy to ensure correlation with input from tactile, vestibular, and somatosensory receptors within the body. These assumptions (among others) are inherent in NDT : Primary …
When should non-drug interventions (NDT) be performed?
Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT): Has been used to refer to Neuro-Developmental Treatment since at least 1983. Is a continuation and advancement of the treatment approach originally developed by Karel and Berta Bobath in 1943. Is also commonly known as “The Bobath Approach” or “The Neuro-Developmental Treatment Approach”.
When was NDT developed?
Originated by Karel and Berta Bobath in the 1960s , NDT has since evolved to incorporate emerging theories of sensorimotor learning, and uses guided or facilitated movements as a treatment strategy to ensure correlation with input from tactile, vestibular, and somatosensory receptors within the body.
What is the working knowledge of adaptive motor development?
A working knowledge of typical adaptive motor development provides the framework for assessing functions and planning intervention.
How many hours of wearable therapy does TheraTogs do?
The typical TheraTogs client receives up to 10 hours of wearable therapy every day!
How does neurodevelopmental therapy work?
Neurodevelopmental treatment is a hands‐on, client‐centred approach that seeks to improve gross motor function in children and adults with neurological problems (such as cerebral palsy), and thereby improve their independence in a variety of contexts. It is thought that by stimulating the affected side to promote the desired muscle action, abnormal movement patterns can be corrected, and normal movement patterns conducive to performing everyday activities restored. It is thought to works as follows:
What was the first NDT intervention?
The first NDT interventions were based on the scientific understanding that prevailed in the 1940s and 1950s. At that time, the investigators thought that the central nervous system was 'hard‐wired', which meant that voluntary movement was controlled by a higher level cortical centre, while lower centres controlled more primitive reflexes. This was known as a 'hierarchical/reflex model'. During that period, NDT interventions aimed to stop abnormal postures and movements by holding the child in fixed postures that were supposed to inhibit reflexes. This was abandoned because it was too passive, and it did not lead to improved movement or function, except in a few cases of very young children (Bobath 1984; Köng 1991; Mayston 1992).
Can NDT be used for stroke?
Many people with neurological damage, including stroke victims, can benefit from NDT, regardless of their age or the severity of their neurological lesion (Raine 2006; Raine 2007). In the treatment of children with cerebral palsy, NDT can be used alone or with other techniques such as conductive education, animal therapy, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, or acupuncture.
Is cerebral palsy prenatal or postnatal?
Causes of cerebral palsy can be classified as prenatal, perinatal or postnatal according to the timing of damage to the central nervous system (Nolan 2000). Prenatal events are responsible for 75% of cases of cerebral palsy whereas postnatal events account for 10% to 18% (Reddihough 2003). The cause of cerebral palsy is unclear in many children, though low birth weight and prematurity are known risk factors (Jan 2006).
Is NDT effective for cerebral palsy?
NDT is one of the oldest and most frequently‐used interventions to treat children with cerebral palsy (Webb 2008). However, there is no evidence that NDT can promote functional improvement of children with cerebral palsy (Novak 2013).
What is NDT therapy?
NDT is a holistic and interdisciplinary clinical practice model informed by current and evolving research that emphasizes individualized therapeutic handling based on movement analysis for habilitation and rehabilitation of individuals with neurological pathophysiology. The therapist uses the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) model in a problem solving approach to assess activity and participation, thereby to identify and prioritize relevant integrities and impairments as a basis for establishing achievable outcomes with clients and caregivers. An in-depth knowledge of the human movement system, including the understanding of typical and atypical development, and expertise in analyzing postural control, movement, activity, and participation throughout the lifespan, form the basis for examination, evaluation, and intervention. Therapeutic handling, used during evaluation and intervention, consists of a dynamic reciprocal interaction between the client and therapist for activating optimal sensorimotor processing, task performance, and skill acquisition to enable participation in meaningful activities.
What is the NDT/Bobath approach?
The Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT/Bobath) approach was developed for the treatment of individuals with Pathophysiology of the central nervous system (CNS), primarily children with cerebral palsy (CP) and adults with cerebral vascular accidents (CVA). Individuals with CNS Pathophysiology have dysfunction in posture and movement and subsequent functional activity limitations. The Bobaths developed the NDT/Bobath approach to address these problems. The NDT/Bobath approach continues to be enriched with the emergence of new theories, new models and new information in the movement sciences. In addition, as the characteristics of the population with CNS Pathophysiology change, the approach continues to evolve.
Key Concepts
Sensory-motor-sensory feedback system Components of normal development
The Assessment Process
NDT focus: to identify the client’s abilities and limitations in order to tailor an individualized treatment plan and provide a basis for comparing the client’s abilities at a later point in time.
Examination
NDT Focus: to identify constrains that limit the client’s ability to perform functional activities.
Evaluation
The therapist observes, describes and formulates hypothesis, linking treatment planning with outcomes.
NDT Intervention
NDT Focus: what differentiates NDT intervention from other approaches is the
precise
therapeutic handling, including facilitation and inhibition, used to provide sensoriomotor cues that facilitates change in function ( Howle, 2004).
What is NDT therapy?
The Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) frame of reference is used to analyze and treat posture and movement impairments based on kinesiology and biomechanics. To identify difficulties and plan for intervention, the following concepts are to be considered in NDT, including planes of movement, alignment, range of motion, base of support, muscle strength, postural control, weight shifts, and mobility. NDT assumes that posture and movement impairments are changeable. Thus, it utilizes movement analysis to identify missing or atypical elements. By treating problems of motor coordination, neuromotor and postural control abnormalities, the ultimate goal of NDT is to optimize participation in a person’s life roles. In the evaluation using NDT, each individual is evaluated as a unique person with particular competencies and limitations. Since NDT emphasizes informal, ongoing examinations as part of treatment to evaluate the treatment strategies, there are no standardized assessment formats. As for the intervention, therapeutic handling is the primary technique of NDT, with graded application of manual forces to the client’s body through the therapist’s hand, combined with directional cues for the client to feel and learn new movement patterns. Occupational therapists are often specifically involved in the facilitation of upper extremity movements such as reaching, grasping, releasing of objects, and in-hand manipulation skills. Therapeutic handling can be also embedded in functional tasks such as self-care or play. Often these functional tasks are entrenched in NDT together with other components including cognition, perception, creativity, and self-esteem.
What is the goal of NDT?
By treating problems of motor coordination, neuromotor and postural control abnormalities, the ultimate goal of NDT is to optimize participation in a person’s life roles.
What is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapists are often specifically involved in the facilitation of upper extremity movements such as reaching, grasping, releasing of objects, and in-hand manipulation skills. Therapeutic handling can be also embedded in functional tasks such as self-care or play.
