Published online June 1, 2006
PEDIATRICS Vol. 117 No. 6 June 2006, pp. 2222-2230 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-1630)
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SPECIAL ARTICLE

Quality of Reporting of Randomized, Controlled Trials in Cerebral Palsy

Heidi Anttila, MSca, Antti Malmivaara, PhD, MDa, Regina Kunz, PhD, MD, MScb, Ilona Autti-Rämö, PhD, MDa,c and Marjukka Mäkelä, PhD, MD, MSca

a Finnish Office for Health Technology Assessment, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Helsinki, Finland
b Institute for Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
c Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

OBJECTIVES. In conducting reviews on the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions on children with cerebral palsy, the assessment of trials can be hampered by problems in reporting. Therefore, we set out to evaluate trial reporting by using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement recommendations.

METHODS. Randomized, controlled trials published in 1990 or later were identified in literature searches for reviews on the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions on children with cerebral palsy. Two independent reviewers evaluated the trial reporting by using a modified 33-item Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials checklist.

RESULTS. We identified 15 randomized, controlled trials. Almost half (48%) of the applicable items were reported adequately. Inadequate reporting was found in the following items: outcome measures, sample-size determination, details of the sequence generation, allocation concealment and implementation of the randomization, success of assessor blinding, recruitment and follow-up dates, intention-to-treat analysis, precision of the effect size, co-interventions, and adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS. Only a small number of sufficiently reported trials were found. Because nearly all items had been described in at least 1 article, high-quality reporting seems feasible. Assessment of trials depends on appropriate reporting, and poor reporting jeopardizes judgments on the clinical implications. Authors of randomized, controlled trials are encouraged to follow the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials criteria. There is a clear need to improve the quality of reporting of trials in this field.

Key Words: CONSORT • trial report • physiotherapy • randomized controlled trial • cerebral palsy

Abbreviations: RCT—randomized, controlled trial • CONSORT—Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials • CP—cerebral palsy • PT—physical therapy • OT—occupational therapy • NDT—neurodevelopmental therapy

Accepted Dec 21, 2005.