Functionality level and its relation to postural control during sitting-to-stand movement in children with cerebral palsy

• Published in: Research in developmental disabilities 2014-02, Vol.35 (2), p.506-511
• Main Authors: Pavão, Silvia Leticia, dos Santos, Adriana Neves, de Oliveira, Ana Beatriz, Rocha, Nelci Adriana Cicuto Ferreira
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Case-Control Studies; Cerebral palsy; Cerebral Palsy - physiopathology; Child; Children; Functional balance; Functional performance; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Humans; Medical sciences; Mobility; Mobility Limitation; Movement - physiology; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Paediatrics; PEDI; Postural Balance - physiology; Postural control; Posture
• ISSN: 0891-4222; 1873-3379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2013.11.028

•Children with mild to moderate motor impairment presents functional constraints.•Postural control during STS movement has association with mobility performance.•Postural control during STS has no association with functional balance in PBS.•The structure and function components are important to the activity level. In this study we studied functional performance and functional balance in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and typically developing (TD) children. The relationship between these components and postural control during sit-to-stand movement (STS) was also investigated. Ten children with CP (GMFCS I and II) and 27 TD children, ages 5–12 years, were included in the study. The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) and the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) were used to measure functional performance and functional balance, respectively. Postural control during STS was assessed by means of a force plate. Participants were asked to stand from a chair with feet over a force plate. Children with CP exhibited lower scores than TD children in the PBS and in the mobility Functional Skills and Caregiver Assistance domains of the PEDI (p≤0.05). In both groups postural control during STS movement was correlated with mobility Caregiver Assistance scores of the PEDI. The results demonstrate that although the participants had mild to moderate motor impairment, they exhibit deficits in their level of functional performance and functional balance compared to typical children. Moreover, it was observed that impairments in postural control during the STS movement are related to functional performance in both groups. This result demonstrates the importance of the structure and function components to the level of activity in children.