Areas of research at Blythedale include:

• Robotic Therapy in Children with Spasticity. Studies of the efficacy of robot-aided therapy in children with spasticity, focusing on mobility recovery in the arm and wrist, in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Ventilator Weaning. Studies include the identification of factors predicating success in weaning children from mechanical ventilation; an examination of pulmonary outcomes in collaboration with five other children’s hospitals with pediatric rehabilitation services; and an examination of the factors identified as predictors of success on weaning children from mechanical ventilation.
• Parent Training. Studies how parents and caregivers retain knowledge relative to their child’s care.
• Long-Term Outcomes. Studies the status of patients on Blythedale’s ventilator weaning protocol between three and six years following discharge.
• Effect of Padding on Pressure Distribution in Orthoses. Studies to compare the use of gel and foam padding in the orthoses of neuromuscular impaired children.
• Neoprene vs. Plastic Vests. Studies the motor function in children with cerebral palsy wearing neoprene or plastic garments to provide trunk support.
• Proxmial femoral Resection. Studies the long-term outcomes of patients having femoral resection for hip pain.
• Tibia vara in Obese Children. Studies children presenting with bow-leg deformities as a result of gross obesity or Blount’s disease.
• Vision Screening in Preschools. Studied the barriers to compliance among preschoolers referred for amblyopia following a simple vision test.

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