What do the relationships between functional classification systems of children with cerebral palsy tell us?
Akmer Mutlu, Pelin Pistav-Akmese, Bilge Nur Yardımcı and 1 others
PMID 28174481WHAT IT FOUND
In 327 children with spastic cerebral palsy, motor, hand-use, and communication classifications moved together, especially in quadriplegia.
Better motor and hand-use levels were associated with being an effective communicator.
Key findings
01Gross motor and manual ability classifications were strongly related across the whole sample.
02Communication classifications were related to gross motor and manual ability classifications, with the weakest relationship in hemiplegia.
03MACS and GMFCS were related to effective communication group membership; age and gender were not.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was retrospective and cross-sectional, so it can show association but not cause or change over time. Only children with spastic cerebral palsy were included, so findings may not apply to dyskinetic or ataxic cerebral palsy. All classifications were done by one researcher using routine assessment data, so independent raters and clinical disagreement were not examined. Communication was grouped as effective or non-effective based on CFCS levels, which may miss the specific communication methods or needs of each child. The study was conducted in one Turkish reference center, so classification patterns may differ in other settings.
Declared interests
The authors reported no declarations of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the strong correlations as proof that improving motor or hand function will improve communication. The study compared classification levels at one time point and did not test any intervention.