Effect of therapeutic touch on brain activation of preterm infants in response to sensory punctate stimulus: a near-infrared spectroscopy-based study.
Author: Honda N, Ohgi S, Wada N, Loo KK, Higashimoto Y, Fukuda K.
Affiliation:
1Department of Rehabilitation, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, Osakasayama, Osaka, Japan.
Conference/Journal: Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed.
Date published: 2012 Jul 21
Other:
Word Count: 173
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether therapeutic touch in preterm infants can ameliorate their sensory punctate stimulus response in terms of brain activation measured by near-infrared spectroscopy.
METHODS:
The study included 10 preterm infants at 34-40 weeks' corrected age. Oxyhaemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) concentration, heart rate (HR), arterial oxygen saturation (SaO(2)) and body movements were recorded during low-intensity sensory punctate stimulation for 1 s with and without therapeutic touch by a neonatal development specialist nurse. Each stimulation was followed by a resting phase of 30 s. All measurements were performed with the infants asleep in the prone position.
RESULTS:
sensory punctate stimulus exposure significantly increased the oxy-Hb concentration but did not affect HR, SaO(2) and body movements. The infants receiving therapeutic touch had significantly decreased oxy-Hb concentrations over time.
CONCLUSIONS:
Therapeutic touch in preterm infants can ameliorate their sensory punctate stimulus response in terms of brain activation, indicated by increased cerebral oxygenation. Therefore, therapeutic touch may have a protective effect on the autoregulation of cerebral blood flow during sensory punctate stimulus in neonates.
PMID: 22820486
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