Clinical Characteristics Associated with Reduced Selective Voluntary Motor Control in the Upper Extremity of Individuals with Spastic Cerebral Palsy.
Theresa Sukal-Moulton, Deborah Gaebler-Spira, Kristin J Krosschell
PMID 33124931WHAT IT FOUND
Unintended movements at other joints were the most common cause of reduced selective motor control in children with cerebral palsy, occurring more often than weakness or tightness.
Mirror movements affected 74% of participants and were linked to lower reported hand function.
Key findings
01Extra movements at unintended joints were the most prevalent issue across all types of spastic cerebral palsy, occurring equally at proximal and distal joints.
02Mirror movements were observed in 74% of participants and were associated with lower scores on a parent-reported measure of hand function.
03Reduced active range of motion and tightness were most frequent in children with quadriplegia, while strength was not a primary contributing factor to reduced selective motor control in this cohort.
STILL TO COME
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What it does not show
The sample size was limited. The study relied on clinical observation rather than advanced motion capture, which may affect the precision of identifying subtle movement characteristics. The results may not generalize to patients with significant ataxia or dystonia, as these conditions were excluded.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of strength deficits in this study as evidence that children with cerebral palsy do not have weakness. The test items were performed against gravity or in gravity-eliminated positions, so the findings only apply to these specific conditions and do not rule out weakness under higher demands.