Effectiveness of Whole-Body Sensory Integration Therapy on Chewing Function and Feeding Behaviors in Children With Chewing Disorders
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 入组人数
- 31
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Meal frequency and duration
研究概览
简要总结
Brief Summary
The goal of this study is to learn if whole-body sensory integration therapy can improve chewing skills and mealtime behaviors in children with chewing difficulties. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does the therapy help children chew food better?
Does it make mealtimes shorter and more efficient?
Participants will:
Attend individual sensory integration therapy sessions for 60 minutes, three times a week for 4 weeks
Take part in exercises such as vibration, crawling through a tunnel, therapeutic brushing, joint and oral exercises, and sensory activities
Be observed for chewing performance and report meal duration and daily meal frequency before and after the therapy
Researchers will compare the results from before and after the therapy to see if chewing skills and feeding behaviors improve.
详细描述
Detailed Description
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of whole-body sensory integration therapy on chewing function, meal duration, and feeding behaviors in children with chewing difficulties. Chewing difficulties in children can arise from developmental disorders, such as cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, or other neuromotor impairments. These difficulties can negatively affect nutritional intake, growth, and overall quality of life.
This study will include 31 children aged between 3 and 12 years who exhibit observable challenges in chewing or feeding. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will receive whole-body sensory integration therapy three times per week for 4 weeks. Each therapy session will last approximately 60 minutes and include activities designed to enhance oral-motor function, chewing skills, body coordination, balance, and sensory processing. Examples of therapy activities include:
Chewing exercises using therapy tools (e.g., chewing sticks, textured foods)
Oral-motor exercises to strengthen lips, tongue, and jaw muscles
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Na
- 干预模型
- Single Group
- 主要目的
- Treatment
- 盲法
- None
盲法说明
The outcomes assessor was blinded; the researcher administering the intervention was not involved in the assessments
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 4 Years 至 10 Years（Child）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 否
入选标准
- •Children with chewing difficulties aged around 5 years (approx. 55-69 months, based on mean ± SD)
- •Medically stable and able to participate in feeding sessions
- •Parental consent obtained
排除标准
- •Children with severe medical conditions or genetic syndromes affecting feeding
- •Children receiving other intensive feeding or sensory interventions during the study
- •Inability to sit or participate in the evaluation sessions
研究组 & 干预措施
Sensory integration therapy
Sensory integration therapy (SIT) was delivered individually in a play-based format, three times per week for four weeks, totaling 12 sessions. Each session lasted 60 minutes, and parents were instructed to reinforce the activities at home as homework. All interventions were administered one-on-one by an experienced therapist in a therapy room. The therapist who administered the intervention did not take part in the evaluation process; therefore, the study was conducted in a single-blind manner. Before the intervention, a trust-based relationship was established with the children, and sensory activities were performed within a play context. The interventions were not limited to oral activities but aimed to support overall sensory development [8]. Based on this program, sensory integration procedures were applied at regular intervals.
干预措施: Sensory integration therapy (Other)
结局指标
主要结局
Meal frequency and duration
时间窗: Pre-intervention assessment: Before the start of the therapy. Post-intervention assessment: Immediately after the completion of the therapy program (4 weeks).
Average daily meal frequency and meal duration recorded via parent interviews.
Sociodemographic data:
时间窗: Before the start of the therapy.
Age, sex, height, weight, and diagnosis.
Chewing performance:
时间窗: Pre-intervention assessment: Before the start of the therapy. Post-intervention assessment: Immediately after the completion of the therapy program (4 weeks).
Assessed using the Karaduman Chewing Performance Scale (KCPS).
次要结局
未报告次要终点
研究者
Neslihan Altuntas Yilmaz
Assistant Professor, PhD
Necmettin Erbakan University