Importance: To develop a practical program in the early phase after nerve repair for more rapid return of function. Objective: To investigate the effects of touch-observation and task-based mirror therapy on the sensorimotor outcomes of patients with nerve repair. Design: An assessor-blinded study with a randomized controlled design. Setting: University hospital. Participants: We recruited 12 patients with median or ulnar nerve repair between the level of midpalm and elbow referred by the plastic surgeons. Intervention: The patients were randomized into touch-observation and task-based mirror therapy or control groups, and both groups received training for 12 wk. Outcomes and Measures: The Semmes–Weinstein monofilament (SWM) test, two-point discrimination test, Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT), Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test (MMDT), and pinch-holding-up activity test were assessed at pretreatment, immediately after treatment, and 12 wk after the last treatment. Results: The experimental group showed greater improvements in the results of the pinch-holding-up activity test and the PPT Unilateral Pin Insertion, Bilateral Pin Insertion, and Assembly subtests. However, change on the SWM test revealed no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions and Relevance: Touch-observation and task-based mirror therapy is an effective but low-cost treatment protocol to optimize sensorimotor control and functional capability of the upper limb in patients with peripheral nerve injury.

OBJECTIVE. We sought to investigate the relationship between sensory processing and pretend play in typically developing children. METHOD. Forty-two typically developing children ages 5–7 yr were assessed with the Child Initiated Pretend Play Assessment and the Home and Main Classroom forms of the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM). RESULTS. There were significant relationships between elaborate pretend play and body awareness (r = .62, p < .01), balance (r = .42, p < .01), and touch (r = .47, p < .01). Object substitution was associated with social participation (r = .42, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS. The sensory processing factors (from the SPM)—namely, Body Awareness, Balance, Touch, and Social Participation—were predictive of the quality of children’s engagement in pretend play in the home environment. The results indicated that, to engage and participate in play, children are involving sensory processing abilities, especially body awareness, balance, and touch.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of haptic attributes of objects on infants’ grasping patterns and evaluate whether this effect is influenced by the infant’s age (i.e., phase of motor development). Method. Grasping patterns of 180 infants who were typically developing were measured by the Posture and Fine Motor Assessment of Infants (PFMAI); the PFMAI-I was administered to infants 2 months to 6 months of age (n =60), and the PFMAI-II was administered to infants 6 months to 12 months of age (n = 120). Grasping patterns were compared for ages by month and for three objects, each with differing haptic features. The interaction between age and object was analyzed. Results. Grasping patterns were significantly different when scores by age in months were compared. In addition, grasping patterns differed depending on the object and its haptic features and were influenced by the interaction between object held and age. Certain haptic features were associated with primitive grasp at younger ages and precision grasp at older ages. More mature skiffs were observed when the objects’ haptic features appeared to match an infant’s perceptual-motor skill. Conclusion. The haptic features of objects influence an infant’s grasping patterns, and this influence changes with the infant’s age. These results suggest that therapists attempt to match the haptic features of objects to the infant’s perceptual-motor skiff in intervention in order to enhance grasping patterns.

Objective. The Touch Inventory for Elementary-School-Aged Children (TIE) is a self-report screening assessment for tactile defensiveness. The purpose of this study was to examine test–retest reliability of the TIE and to evaluate agreement between children’s TIE scores and scores that mothers gave their children on a modified version of the TIE. Method. Twenty-nine children, 6 to 12 years of age, were available for the test–retest portion of the study and were assessed with the TIE with a 1-week interval between sessions. Their mothers completed a modified version of the TIE. Results. Results indicated significant test–retest reliability ( r = .91, p < .001), although a more conservative Kappa indicated only moderate agreement. The correlation between mothers’ ratings and children’s ratings was less significant ( r = .56, p = .001), and Kappas were slight or fair, indicating considerable disagreement between mothers and children. Conclusion. These results suggest that using information from both mothers and children might provide a more complete picture of tactile defensiveness, but further research is needed before using a mother’s assessment when the TIE is implemented as a standard procedure.

Emotion identification is an individual’s ability to be aware of affective responses that occur during varied daily interactions. Through a review of the literature, how patients often seem unclear about the relevance of “doing” therapy to “talking/feeling” therapy is documented, and then an attempt is made to show how the occupational therapy emotion identification group can reinforce the patients’ real-life connection between doing, talking, or feeling. The basic premises formulated for establishing a method to promote emotion identification, the group format that incorporates this method, and patient responses to the method are presented. How occupational therapy interfaces with Gestalt therapy and therapeutic community philosophies is shown and methods are described to apply the Gestalt process of one’s getting in touch with and taking ownership for both needs and feelings in the emotion identification group and in occupational therapy task groups.