Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) For Children With Cerebral Palsy

Objectives: The objectives were to find out the sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, types of CP, level of GMFCS and to determine the association between GMFCS with age, gender, types of CP and topographic distribution among children with cerebral palsy. Methods and Materials: A retrospectives study was done in children with cerebral palsy. Total 384 participants were included in this study. The study setting was Paediatric Department, Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The samples were collected through convenient sampling. The Chi-Square was used to find out the association between GMFCS with age, gender, types of CP and others. Results: Males were affected than female among all participants. The majority participants came from rural area. The children were more in 2 to 4-year age band in GMFCS. The majority participants (81%) had visual problem, 11% hearing and 31% had convulsion. The common levels were II and III. The age bands, topographic classification was associated with GMFCS (p<0.05) but gender and types of CP were not statistically associated (p>0.05). Conclusion: The Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) has become an important tool to describe motor function in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP).

Dysphagia in Cerebral Palsy and the Relationship between Levels of Gross Motor Function Classification System / 中国康复理论与实践

@#ObjectiveTo analyze the characteristics of dysphagia in children with cerebral palsy and explore the relation with the gross motor function classification.MethodsThe children with cerebral palsy in our rehabilitation center from June 2009 to June 2010 were assessed by Dysphagia Disorders Survey(DDS), Oral Motor Assessment and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) to explore the relationship between the dysphagia disorders and different gross motor levels.ResultsOf all 105 children with cerebral palsy, 21.9% were mild dysphagia, and 34.3% were moderate to severe dysphagia, resulting in a prevalence of dysphagia of 56.2%. DDS and oral motor scores were changed by GMFCS levels. The correlation coefficient were 0.767 and -0.504 between DDS, oral motor scores and GMFCS, 0.55 and 0.27 between dysphagia, oral motor disorder and the gross motor functions, respectively(P<0.01).ConclusionDysphagia was positively related to severity of motor impairment. Children in GMFCS levels Ⅳ～Ⅴ almost with problems in the pharyngeal and esophageal phases, apparently on the DDS, should be referred for appropriate clinical evaluation of swallowing function.

Preliminary study of the Gross Motor Function Classification System(GMFCS) for children with cerebral palsy / 中国康复理论与实践

@#ObjectiveTo test the reliability of Gross Motor Function Classification System(GMFCS) among different raters.MethodsUsing the Chinese translation vision of the GMFCS,5 doctors(raters) determined the level of each cerebral palsy(CP) child(aged 0～12) independently.After finishing classification of all the 23 CP children's level,the reasons of disparities among raters were discussed and analyzed,and the supplementary classification sentences were formulated.ResultsThere was no statistic significant difference in classifications among 5 raters,the GMFCS levels were correlated well with mobility and self-care domain scores in comprehensive function assessment,and higher degree of agreement could be achieved by referring to the supplementary classification sentences while classifying.ConclusionFor classifying the level of gross motor function of CP children,Chinese translation vision of the GMFCS has high degree of reliability.