  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-to-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 patient's population with PBD. However, in
MEPs and neuropediatric evaluations clustering, the 67% of Katona group were
assigning 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.
