Upper Limbs Assessment in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Manual Dexterity and Upper Limbs Functionality Assessment in School Children With Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is the leading cause of physical disability among children. Manual dexterity and upper limbs functionality is limited between these children. The purpose of this study is to stablish a specific profile of school children with cerebral palsy based on the upper limbs assessment.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cerebral Palsy; Children
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Assessment

Detailed Description

While the rates of perinatal and infant mortality have declined toward the end of the last century,the rate of cerebral palsy has remained at 2 to 2.5 per 1,000 live births. A high percentage of children with cerebral palsy have difficulty keeping up with the handwriting demands at school. The neurological impairments in children with cerebral palsy frequently limit the functionality of these children taken in to account the upper limbs variables. It should be interesting to describe a clinical profile based on this assessment.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 31

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Granada, Spain, 18071
    • Department of Physical Therapy

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 6 years to 10 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

School children with cerebral palsy.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Cerebral palsy diagnosis.
• Aged between 6 and 10 years old.
• Children attending a school.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe cognitive impairment.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Children with cerebral palsy; Children diagnosed with cerebral palsy are included in this group. An assessment and an intervention will be carried out.	Other: Assessment; The children with cerebral palsy were assessed. Different measures evaluating the upper limbs functionality are used.; Other Names: Evaluation; Description

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI)	This inventory assess the key functional capabilities and performance in children between six months to seven years old. Three subscales are observed: self-care, mobility and social function. It helps you to identify areas of new functional intervention. Also, it is used to identify functional deficits.	baseline
Upper limbs functionality	The functionality is measured using the Abilhand-kids questionnaire. This questionnaire was designed to cover the widest range of children's manual activities including both unimanual and bimanual activities. For each question, the children and their parents were asked to provide their perceived difficulty to perform the activity on a three-level scale: impossible (0), difficult (1), or easy (2).	baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Manual dexterity	Manual dexterity is measured using the 9-hole peg test. This is a brief, standardized, quantitative test of upper extremity function. Both the dominant and non-dominant hands are tested twice. The patient is seated at a table with a small container holding nine pegs. The patient picks up the nine pegs one at a time as quickly as possible, puts them in the nine holes, and, once they are in the holes, removes them again as quickly as possible one at a time, replacing them into the shallow container. The time is recorded.	baseline
Executive function	The executive function is measured using the Porteus Maze Test. It consists of a series of mazes graded in difficulty and standardized for application to children from three years old.	baseline
Handwriting assessment	The handwriting ability is measured with the Handwriting without tears method. It is used to assess memory, letter size,space and movement control.	baseline
Range of motion	The range of motion in upper limbs is measured with a standard goniometer at different levels: elbow, wrist and fingers.	baseline
Upper limbs strength	The strength is evaluated using a digital dynamometer. The strength is measured in Newtons.	baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidad de Granada

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2016
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 13, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 19, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): November 20, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): November 2, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 1, 2016
• Last Verified: November 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Handwriting; functionality; Cerebral palsy
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Brain Damage, Chronic; Cerebral Palsy; Paralysis
• Other Study ID Numbers: DF0042UG

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED