Three-dimensional assessment of finger individuation reveals finger- and joint-specific selective motor control deficits in children with cerebral palsy.

The study included only 28 children with cerebral palsy and 18 controls, and all children with cerebral palsy could walk independently and were at GMFCS levels I or II. Most children with cerebral palsy were at MACS level I or II, so results may not apply to children with more severe manual ability limitations. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show how finger individuation changes over time or whether it responds to therapy. Only the thumb, index, and ring fingers were tested, and only six children with cerebral palsy had both hands tested. No strength, sensory, neuroimaging, or neurophysiological measures were collected, so weakness or neural causes cannot be separated from individuation deficits. Attention was not formally assessed, although all children completed the task and the Purdue Pegboard.

The work was funded by the University of Georgia, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the University of Georgia Athletic Association. No other conflicts of interest are reported in the supplied text.

Do not conclude that finger individuation training improves hand function. This study was cross-sectional and did not give an intervention or test whether treatment changes outcomes.