Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA | [b] Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Margaret A. Turk, Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pediatrics, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Department of PM&R, JH 301, 750 East Adams St, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA. Tel.: +1 315 464 5820; Fax: +1 315 464 8699; E-mail: turkm@upstate.edu.
Abstract: Cerebral palsy (CP) is associated with complex health care needs and, although improved, a continued shortened life expectancy. In order to quantify and understand advances in the diagnosis and management of CP, systematic literature searches of key word groupings in the PubMed database were completed and revealed a recent increased incidence of publications focusing on quality of life, physical activity, exercise, and treatment options. Our bibliometric exploration revealed growing emphasis on function, performance, aging, and health compared to earlier studies when diagnostic features and brain pathology dominated research. Our findings highlight the transition from diagnosis and identification to management of specific conditions and providing guidance for the continuum of needs our patients experience over the course of a lifetime. The field must be prepared to advance our understanding of best practices and implement evidence-based interventions and management options.
Keywords: Cerebral palsy, publications, research, bibliometrics, trends, rehabilitation, physical medicine
