Cork & Kerry Research

Enable Ireland Cork & Kerry Services have established a proud and respected record in disability research. Research is important in informing our practice and service developments. Enable Ireland Cork & Kerry Services’ dedicated Research Department continues to make an active contribution to health and social research at local national and international levels, from both public health and clinical perspectives.
 

Public Health Research

From a public health perspective, the ongoing work as Southern Ireland Cerebral Palsy Register (SICPR) Manager will include participation in the Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe (SCPE) and ‘Study of PARticipation of Children with Cerebral Palsy Living in Europe’ (SPARCLE) research groups.

 

Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe (SCPE)

As well as conducting public health and epidemiological research on children with cerebral palsy, SCPE has developed a standardised method of diagnosing cerebral palsy, classifying clinical subtypes, and classifying distribution and severity of motor and other associated impairments. The SCPE website is as follows:
http://www-rheop.ujf-grenoble.fr/scpe2/site_scpe/index.php
 
SCPE have recently received funding from the European Community 2nd Programme of Community Action in the Field of Health (2008-2013) for a project entitled SCPE-NET, which will focus on the following work packages:
Dissemination of best practice in relation to collecting clinical information
  • Identifying inequalities in the management and care of children with cerebral palsy
  • Developing the SCPE web-site for public access to information on CP, including lay-summaries of SCPE’s public health and epidemiology publications.
  • Improving the quality and harmonisation of data collected across different registers.
 

‘Study of PARticipation of Children with Cerebral Palsy Living in Europe’ (SPARCLE)

In 2004/2005, Enable Ireland Cork Services participated in the ‘Study of PARticipation of Children with Cerebral Palsy Living in Europe’. For a summary of the findings of this study, look out for the information leaflets in the Lavanagh Centre, or visit the SPARCLE website: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/sparcle.
 
The SPARCLE study group have recently received funding for SPARCLE2, a longitudinal study following the original cohort of 8-12-year-old children into adolescence. A research associate is currently being recruited to work on this project, which will involve re-visiting the young people and families from SPARCLE1. (www.ncl.ac.uk/sparkle).


Clinical Research

From a clinical research perspective, the Research Department provides support to local clinicians undertaking research, as well as developing a number of projects in line with the strategic goals 2009-2011. In collaboration with the PT and OT departments, the Research Department has developed the Posture and Movement Assessment Clinic (PMAC).
 
 

Posture and Movement Assessment Clinic (PMAC).

The PMAC is a secondary-level service to support the primary interdisciplinary teams working in partnership with service users. The function of the PMAC is to collaboratively assess the influence of motor impairments on physical functioning, and to develop management programmes to prevent secondary musculoskeletal impairments and enhance participation in active-physical and skill-based recreation and leisure activities, both at home and in the community.
 
Started in January 2009, the PMAC serves as a platform for clinical research, collecting clinical information regarding motor impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions, and child, family and environmental factors which influence these, for a project entitled:
 
“Factors influencing the participation of school-aged children and youth with cerebral palsy in recreation and leisure activities: A population-based study in Cork and Kerry”.
 
For more information regarding the clinical and research functions of the PMAC, look out for the posters and information leaflets in the Lavanagh Centre. You can also e-mail alyons@enableireland.ie or call 021 4566854.