Relationship between gross motor function and the function, activity and participation components of the International Classification of Functioning in children with spastic cerebral palsy

Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of the Gross Motor Function Measurement (GMFM-88&66) in Children with Cerebral Palsy

BACKGROUND

The gross motor function measurement is considered as the gold standard for the motor assessment of children with cerebral palsy. The aim was to carry out the cross-cultural adaptation and investigate psychometric properties.

METHODS

A total of 150 children with cerebral palsy aged 2-16 (mean 8.82 ± 3.78 years; 54.7% male) included. The Gross Motor Function Measurement was adapted into Turkish. Two physiotherapies independently administered the gross motor function measurement. Internal consistency and intra/inter-rater reliability were assessed using Cronbach's alpha, intraclass-correlation-coefficient. Standard-error-of-measurement, minimal-detectible-change calculated. The Bland-Altman method was applied to estimate the measurement bias in reliability analysis. Construct validity assessed with Spearman's correlation coefficient between the gross motor function measurement and the gross motor function classification system, pediatric-evaluation-of-disability-inventory-mobility; confirmatory-factor-analysis was carried.

RESULTS

Internal-consistency (α: 0.997-1.00); reliability indices were excellent for total scale (intraclass-correlation-coefficient for intra-rater reliability 0.994-0.999, inter-rater reliability 0.997-0.999) and for each sub-dimension and total score. Standard-error-of-measurement was ranging 1.044-1.677, minimal-detectible-change was 2.435-5.520. Construct validity was supported by strong to excellent negative significant correlations (p < 0.05).

A Cross-Sectional Study Examining the Relationship Between Malnutrition and Gross Motor Function in Cerebral Palsy

Introduction Cerebral palsy (CP) characterizes a range of permanent, nonprogressive symptoms of postural and motor dysfunction caused by an insult to the developing central nervous system in a fetus or an infant. CP manifests early in life, often within the first two to three years of age. CP is associated with poor growth, that is the deviation from the normal growth parameters. The prevalence of CP ranges from 2.0 to 3.5 per 1000 live births in high-income countries which is comparable to the estimates from low-income countries. Antenatal and perinatal insults are among the most commonly reported causes of CP; however, a large number of cases do not have an identifiable etiology of CP. The current study aims to examine the relationship between malnutrition and gross motor function in children with CP. Materials and Methods This study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Nehru Hospital, Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College, Gorakhpur (UP) over a period of one year (August 2020 to July 2021) after obtaining ethical clearance from the College Research Council. Children of age 1-15 years with CP attending the pediatric outpatient and inpatient departments were enrolled as the study participants after obtaining informed consent from a legal guardian. Assessment of motor function was done using the gross motor function classification system (GMFCS). Associations of malnutrition across levels of gross motor function were tested using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test whichever was applicable. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 as significant. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21 (Released 2012; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Result We analyzed 110 children with a diagnosis of CP (median age 6.5 years, interquartile range (IQR) 4.4-9.0 years). The majority (65/110; 59%) of the patients were male, and 68 (61.8%) delivered at term gestation. The most common presenting symptom among children with CP was seizures (79/110; 72.3%), the second most common being delayed milestones among 73 (66.8%), followed by difficulty in breathing among 63 (57.5%). The association between the anthropometric index of participants and GMFCS was found to be highly significant. Conclusion Most CP patients were facing gross motor disturbances. Spastic type of CP was most frequent, and more than half of the patients experienced feeding difficulty. A statistically significant association was found between gross motor functioning and the prevalence of malnutrition and stunting.

Effectiveness of functional intensive therapy on mobility and self-care activities in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy - a prospective clinical study

PURPOSE

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a major cause of childhood disability. Children with CP often lack motor skills to effectively perform activities of daily living. The aim is to assess the effectiveness of a functional intensive therapy program focused on improving individual goals in the domain of mobility and self-care in children and adolescents with CP.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Thirty-five CP patients, aged 11-19 years, GMFCS I-IV, received daily 6-7 h of functional therapy for 15 days. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, immediately after the program and at three months follow-up.

RESULTS

Significant post-intervention improvement was seen on all primary and secondary outcome measures; personal goals (GAS score; COPM performance and COPM satisfaction), daily activities (ACTIVLIM), hand function (ABILHAND-Kids), mobility (ABILOCO-Kids; GMFM-66-IS score). There was no loss to follow up during the program and after three months. At follow-up, improvements were retained except for ABILOCO and GMFM-66-IS.

CONCLUSIONS

Functional intensive therapy appears feasible and seems to be effective in improving treatment goals focused on mobility and self-care, even in older and more severely affected children and adolescents with CP. After three months, these possible effects were still present.Implications for rehabilitationShort intensive functional training is feasible and showing no loss to follow up in the older and more severely affected children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP).Short intensive functional training appears effective in improving individual goals in children and adolescents with CP and improvements endorse three months.Short intensive functional training seems to be effective on both mobility and self-care domains of the ICF-CY.

Effectiveness of Sensory Integration Therapy on Functional Mobility in Children With Spastic Diplegic Cerebral Palsy

Background  A set of non-progressive brain abnormalities and nervous system dysfunctions are referred to as cerebral palsy (CP). Due to this, the child's mobility, eyesight, learning, and thought processes are affected. It can evolve before, through birth, or the first year of a child's life. The activity through which the brain organizes and analyses external sensations like touch, motion, body awareness, vision, hearing, and gravity is indicated as sensory integration. The use of sensory integration therapy (SIT) necessitates that the sensorimotor exercises target the specific parts of difficulties that the child experiences daily. This study aims to study the effectiveness of SIT on functional mobility in children with spastic diplegic CP. Methods In this study, 40 children of CP with spastic diplegic who met the inclusion and exclusion criterion were enlisted and were separated into two groups, with Group A (n=20) receiving SIT for 25 minutes along with conventional physiotherapy for 20 minutes, and Group B (n=20) were given conventional physiotherapy for 45 minutes. A four-week therapy plan was followed. Short sensory profile (SSP) and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Pediatric mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and Modified Ashworth Scale were taken as outcome measures. Results SIT along with traditional treatment is described in the study protocol which aids CP children to improve themselves. Following a four-week protocol, combined therapy of SIT and conventional physiotherapy show an effect on the motor function of the children. After therapy, scores in GMFCS and SSP improved. By using Student's paired t-test, a statistically significant difference was found in GMFCS score at pre and post-test treatment in group A (7.28, p=0.0001) and group B (4.48, p=0.0001), in SSP score at pre and post-test treatment in group A (27.91, p=0.0001) and group B (11.31, p=0.0001), in MMSE score at pre- and post-test treatment in group A (6.89, p=0.0001) and group B (6.32, p=0.0001). The significance threshold was p<0.0001. Conclusion Under the study's experimental conditions, both groups showed substantial improvements in the functional mobility of children. When the efficacy of SIT along with conventional physiotherapy was examined, the impact resulted in a significantly greater improvement in the functional mobility of spastic diplegic CP children.

Gross motor function profile of children with cerebral palsy in a low-resource setting: A call for reflection on the model of care

PURPOSE

The current study aimed to explore Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) profiles among children with cerebral palsy (CP) at various Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels in a low-resource setting. Seventy-one ambulatory children with CP (61% males), were studied after signed informed consent was obtained from parents and assent from children older than 12 years.

METHODS

Ambulatory capacity of children with CP was classified using GMFCS levels. Functional ability of all participants was measured using GMFM-88.

RESULTS

Children with CP in a low-resource setting had 12-44% lower GMFM scores in dimensions of standing, walking, running, and jumping with reference to children from high-resource settings with similar ambulatory capacity reported previously. The most affected components across various GMFCS levels were 'sitting on a large and small bench from floor,' 'arm-free squatting,' 'half-kneeling,' 'kneel-walking,' and 'single-limb hop'.

CONCLUSION

Knowledge of GMFM profiles can guide clinicians and policymakers in low-resource settings for strategic rehabilitation planning and extend the focus of rehabilitation from restoration of body structure and function to the wider domain of social participation in leisure, sport, work, and the community at large. Additionally, providing tailored rehabilitation based on a profile of motor function can ensure an economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable future.

Causal factors affecting gross motor function in children diagnosed with cerebral palsy

Background

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a complex neuromuscular condition that may negatively influence gross motor function. Children diagnosed with CP often exhibit spasticity, weakness, reduced motor control, contracture, and bony malalignment. Despite many previous association studies, the causal impact of these impairments on motor function is unknown.

Aim

In this study, we proposed a causal model which estimated the effects of common impairments on motor function in children with spastic CP as measured by the 66-item Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66). We estimated both direct and total effect sizes of all included variables using linear regression based on covariate adjustment sets implied by the minimally sufficient adjustment sets. In addition, we estimated bivariate effect sizes of all measures for comparison.

Method

We retrospectively evaluated 300 consecutive subjects with spastic cerebral palsy who underwent routine clinical gait analysis. Model data included standard information collected during this analysis.

Results

The largest causal effect sizes, as measured by standardized regression coefficients, were found for selective voluntary motor control and dynamic motor control, followed by strength, then gait deviations. In contrast, common treatment targets, such as spasticity and orthopedic deformity, had relatively small effects. Effect sizes estimated from bivariate models, which cannot appropriately adjust for other causal factors, substantially overestimated the total effect of spasticity, strength, and orthopedic deformity.

Interpretation

Understanding the effects of impairments on gross motor function will allow clinicians to direct treatments at those impairments with the greatest potential to influence gross motor function and provide realistic expectations of the anticipated changes.

Functioning profiles of individuals with Mucopolysaccharidosis according to the International Classification of Functioning

BACKGROUND

The classification of health problems of persons with Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) may contribute to better understanding the disease impacts. The ICF is a useful tool to describe disabilities and functioning, especially in diseases with multisystemic involvement.

AIM

To identify and classify the health needs of persons with non-neuronopathic MPS according to the ICF.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Department of Physical Therapy (Federal University, Brazil).

POPULATION

Persons with non-neuronopathic MPS.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews covering all components of the ICF were conducted to know the patients' perspectives of their health problems (patient-reported outcomes). The speeches were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by researchers to identifying meaningful concepts. Then, the concept units were linked to ICF components and the magnitude of the problem to ICF qualifiers. Data are shown by descriptive statistics and separated into two groups: children and adolescents, and adults.

RESULTS

A total of 60 different ICF categories were used to classify participants' functioning. A total of 28 and 51 categories was necessary to classify the health problems of children and adults, respectively. Additionally, 16 categories related to contextual factors were used, of which eight and 12 were identified as facilitators by children, adolescents, and adults, respectively. The main problems were related to supportive functioning of arms or legs (b7603), pain in the body part (b2801), respiratory functions (b440), and voice functions (b310). Limitations in the activity and participation component were related to walking (d450), fine hand use (d440), washing oneself (d510), and dressing (d540). Recreation and leisure (d920) was restricted to approximately half of the studied population.

CONCLUSIONS

People with MPS face impairments of body structures and functions, activity limitations and restrictions to participation. Environmental factors may be act as facilitators of these problems.

CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT

The ICF is a useful tool to classify the health problems of people with non-neuropathic MPS. The planning of rehabilitation programs needs to covers all components of functioning to provide a biopsychosocial model of care. The ICF categories may direct health professionals to more effective targets.

Participation after childhood stroke: Is there a relationship with lesion size, motor function and manual ability?

BACKGROUND

Childhood arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) is associated with significant morbidity with up to 50% of affected children developing hemiparesis. Hemiparesis is assumed to influence participation within the peer group, but it is unclear to what extent its severity affects participation in different areas of social life.

METHODS

Thirteen children (mean age 9y6m) with AIS (6 without hemiparesis, 7 with hemiparesis) and 21 controls (mean age 9y8m) participated. We scored hemiparesis severity with hand strength asymmetry (pinch and grip strength), measured with a dynamometer. We assessed manual ability (ABILHAND-Kids), socioeconomic status (Family Affluence Scale) and participation (Participation and Environment Measure - Children and Youth). From structural MRI, we measured lesion size. We investigated differences in participation and its relationship with hemiparesis severity using non-parametric partial correlations (controlling for lesion size, manual ability, and socioeconomic status), interpreted as absent (r < 0.25), weak (r = 0.25-0.50), moderate (r = 0.50-0.75) or strong (r > 0.75). Analyses were performed in jamovi 1.6.3.

RESULTS

Children with AIS (with or without hemiparesis) showed reduced participation frequency at school (p < 0.001), whilst participation at home and in the community resembled that of their peers. Severity of hemiparesis was moderately related to frequency and involvement at home and to involvement and desire for change in the community, although unrelated to school participation.

CONCLUSION

Reduced participation in school life requires close attention in the follow-up of children with AIS - regardless of the severity of hemiparesis. Participation at home and in the community is related to hemiparesis severity and may be improved with participation-focused motor intervention strategies.

Factors Affecting Participation of Children with Cerebral Palsy in Meaningful Activities: Systematic Review

This is a systematic review using PRISMA guidelines to review the factors affecting participation of children with cerebral palsy (CP), the most common childhood motor disability. Inclusion criteria consisted of publications in a peer-reviewed journal between 2000 and 2018, and at I, II, III, and IV levels of AOTA Evidence. After the title, abstract, and a full text screening, 31 articles met eligibility to be included. The studies examined ADLs (12), IADLs (9), play and leisure (19), and social participation (14), but only 3 in rest/sleep, 1 in work, and 8 in education. Gross motor and manual function, CP type, home, and community physical environment, were the most common factors affecting individuals' participation with CP. Results imply occupational therapists must evaluate clients on all factors shown to facilitate or inhibit participation to ensure an adequate intervention plan. However, evaluating every individual case in the occupational therapy process is time-consuming and difficult. Based on this study's findings, we suggest occupational therapists prioritize evaluating motor skills (gross and fine), the most influential of the factors in all areas of participation. Occupational therapists also could advocate for policy around community environmental barrier removal.

Association between sensory processing and activity performance in children with cerebral palsy levels I-II on the gross motor function classification system

BACKGROUND

Investigating the influence of sensory processing disorders on the level of function of children with cerebral palsy (CP) may help therapists identify specific impairments that impact activity and participation in these children. This may provide direction on selection of interventions to improve function and quality of life.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate if sensory processing disorders in children with CP levels I and II on the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) are associated with activity performance.

METHODS

Sensory processing and activity performance of 28 children with CP between 5 and 15 years (mean ± standard deviation; 9.9 ± 3.2 years) were evaluated using the Sensory Profile (SP) and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), respectively. Associations between the components of the SP and PEDI were assessed with Spearman correlation coefficients. Multiple linear regression analysis using backward stepwise method was used to determine the variables of sensory processing that are associated with activity performance on the PEDI.

RESULTS

The category of Behavioral Outcomes of Sensory Processing was the only variable associated with Functional Abilities in self-care and social function (r2 = 0.30 and r2 = 0.39, respectively) and Caregiver Assistance (r2 = 0.36 and r2 = 0.37, respectively), (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Sensory processing in children with CP levels I-II on the GMFCS is associated with their ability to perform daily living activities and in their social interaction with the environment.

The Relationship between Parent-reported PEDI-CAT Mobility and Gross Motor Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy: Brief Report

Purpose: The PEDI-CAT mobility domain (PEDI-mob) is a parent-reported measure of mobility for children up to 21 years of age. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between the PEDI-mob and Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)-66 and Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) levels.Methods: Fifty-seven children (N = 57), ages 2-8.8 years participated. PEDI-mob and GMFM were administered and GMFCS was confirmed during the same session. A Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for PEDI-mob and GMFM-66 scores to evaluate the association between these two measures. An ANOVA was used to analyze PEDI-mob across GMFCS levels.Results: Large, statistically significant correlation was found between PEDI-mob and GMFM-66 scores (r = 0.894, p-value<0.001). Differences in PEDI-mob scores were found across GMFCS levels (p-value <0.001), where patients with higher GMFCS levels had lower PEDI-mob scores.Conclusion: These results support a strong relationship between parent-reported and clinically measured motor function.

Relationship Between Integrity of the Corpus Callosum and Bimanual Coordination in Children With Unilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (USCP) have shown impaired bimanual coordination. The corpus callosum (CC) connects the two hemispheres and is critical for tasks that require inter-hemisphere communication. The relationship between the functional bimanual coordination impairments and structural integrity of the CC is unclear. We hypothesized that better integrity of the CC would relate to better bimanual coordination performance during a kinematic bimanual drawer-opening task. Thirty-nine children with USCP (Age: 6–17 years old; MACS levels: I-III) participated in the study. Measurement of the CC integrity was performed using diffusion tensor imaging. The CC was measured as a whole and was also divided into three regions: genu, midbody, and splenium. Fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity, mean diffusivity, number of voxels, and number of streamlines were evaluated in whole and within each region of the CC. 3-D kinematic analyses of bimanual coordination were also assessed while children performed the bimanual task. There were negative correlations between bimanual coordination measures of total movement time and AD of whole CC (p = 0.037), number of streamlines and voxels of splenium (p = 0.038, 0.032, respectively); goal synchronization and AD of whole CC (p = 0.04), and number of streamlines and voxels of splenium (p = 0.001, 0.01, respectively). The current results highlight the possible connection between the integrity of the CC, especially between the splenium region and temporal bimanual coordination performance for children with USCP.

Análise do desempenho funcional de lactentes com síndrome congênita do zika: estudo longitudinal

RESUMO O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar longitudinalmente o desempenho funcional de lactentes acometidos pela síndrome congênita do zika (SCZ). Realizou-se um estudo com lactentes provenientes do Laboratório de Estudos em Pediatria da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco e da Aliança de Mães e Famílias Raras, com idade entre 6 e 24 meses, de ambos os sexos. O Inventário de Avaliação Pediátrica de Incapacidade (PEDI) foi aplicado para análise do desempenho funcional em duas avaliações, com no mínimo seis meses de intervalo. A análise dos dados foi realizada pelo teste de Wilcoxon. Na amostra de 16 lactentes, observou-se que entre as avaliações houve mudança na classificação de normal para atraso nos domínios de autocuidado e função social, com diminuição significativa dos escores normativos (p=0,001 e p<0,001, respectivamente); na mobilidade, os lactentes inicialmente classificados com atraso também apresentaram redução dos escores normativos (p=0,001), mantendo-se na classificação. Apesar do aumento significativo nos escores brutos do autocuidado (p=0,024) e mobilidade (p=0,001), os lactentes continuaram classificados em atraso. Na assistência do cuidador, 100% dos lactentes se encontraram em atraso nos três domínios do PEDI, recebendo assistência máxima ou total. As principais modificações ambientais encontradas foram as centradas na criança. Em suma, os lactentes com SCZ deste estudo apresentaram atrasos significativos no desempenho funcional, com uma evolução lenta no intervalo de tempo avaliado.