Bimanual hand use in children and adolescents with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (USCP) often show difficulties using their hands during activities of daily living. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors that interfere with hand use during bimanual activities in children and adolescents with USCP. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 102 children and adolescents with USCP, aged 6 to 18 years. We collected information with the caregivers about the classification of the child's manual ability, according to the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS); child's age; side of the involvement; Children's Hand-Use Experience Questionnaire- CHEQ2.0. Cluster analysis identified groups of children and adolescents who performed CHEQ activities with or without assistance. Multiple linear regression analyses identified the contribution of the factors: age, sex, MACS level, side of hemiparesis, and clusters of assistance, on the outcomes of efficacy, time, and feeling bothered. RESULTS: MACS and clusters of assistance explained the variance in efficacy (p<0.05; R2=0.31) and time (p<0.05; R2=0.37). MACS explained 22% of the variance in feeling bothered.  Children and adolescents with increased difficulty to perform activities that involve hand use (i.e., MACS III) and who receive assistance during most bimanual activities showed less efficacy of use, were slower in their performance, and presented greater feeling of being bothered. CONCLUSION: Assistance in bimanual activities and MACS level contributed to explain the efficacy of use, time, and feeling bothered in performing bimanual activities. Intervention strategies aimed at promoting the performance of bimanual activities in the daily routine of children with USCP should consider these outcomes.

Does Dosage Matter? A Pilot Study of Hand-Arm Bimanual Intensive Training (HABIT) Dose and Dosing Schedule in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.

AIM: We compared the efficacy of hand-arm bimanual intensive training (HABIT) in two doses (90 vs. 45 hours) and two schedules of the same dose (90 vs. 2 × 45 hours) on hand and daily functioning. METHOD: Eighteen children with unilateral cerebral palsy were randomized to receive 6 hours of daily training over 3 weeks, totaling 90 hours (Group 90, n = 9) or receive 6 hours of daily training over 1.5 weeks, totaling 45 hours (Group 2 × 45, n = 9). After 6 months, Group 2 × 45 received an additional 45 hours. Hand (Jebsen-Taylor Test of Hand Function, Assisting Hand Assessment) and daily functioning tests (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory) were administered before, immediately after, and 6 months after interventions. RESULTS: Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in hand and daily functioning after 90 hours (Group 90) or the first 45 hours (Group 2 × 45), without differences between groups. However, more children from Group 90 obtained smallest detectable differences in the Assisting Hand Assessment. The addition of the second bout of 45 hours (Group 2 × 45) did not lead to further improvements. CONCLUSIONS: As this study was powered to test for large differences between groups, future investigations on larger samples will be needed to compare differences at the two dosage levels.

Functional priorities reported by parents of children with cerebral palsy: contribution to the pediatric rehabilitation process / Prioridades funcionais identificadas por pais de crianças com paralisia cerebral:contribuições para o processo de reabilitação infantil

Background: Collaborative actions between family and therapist are essential to the rehabilitation process, and they can be a catalyst mechanism to the positive outcomes in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Objectives: To describe functional priorities established by caregivers of CP children by level of severity and age, and to assess changes on performance and satisfaction on functional priorities reported by caregivers, in 6-month interval. Method: 75 CP children, weekly assisted at Associação Mineira de Reabilitação, on physical and occupational therapy services. The following information was collected: gross motor function (Gross Motor Function Classification System-GMFCS) and functional priorities established by caregivers (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure-COPM). Data were collected in two moments, with a 6-month interval. Results: The main functional demands presented by caregivers were related to self-care activities (48.2%). Parents of children with severe motor impairment (GMFCS V) pointed higher number of demands related to play (p=0.0036), compared to the other severity levels. Parents of younger children reported higher number of demands in mobility (p=0.025) and play (p=0.007), compared to other age groups. After 6 months, there were significant increase on COPM performance (p=0.0001) and satisfaction scores (p=0.0001). Conclusions: Parents of CP children identified functional priorities in similar performance domains, by level of severity and age. Orienting the pediatric rehabilitation process to promote changes in functional priorities indentified by caregivers can contribute to the reinforcement of the parent-therapist collaboration. .

Contextualização: Ações colaborativas entre família e terapeuta são essenciais para o processo de reabilitação, podendo constituir mecanismo catalisador de desfechos funcionais positivos para crianças com paralisia cerebral (PC). Objetivos: Descrever prioridades funcionais identificadas por cuidadores de crianças com PC por nível de gravidade e idade e avaliar mudanças no desempenho e satisfação reportadas pelos cuidadores nas prioridades identificadas no intervalo de seis meses. Método: De 75 crianças com PC, atendidas semanalmente naAssociação Mineira de Reabilitação, nos serviços de fisioterapia e de terapia ocupacional, foram coletadas informações referentes à função motora grossa (Sistema de Classificação da Função Motora Grossa-GMFCS) e às prioridades funcionais estabelecidas pelos cuidadores (Medida Canadense de Desempenho Ocupacional-COPM). Os dados foram coletados em dois períodos, com intervalo de seis meses. Resultados: As principais demandas apontadas pelos cuidadores referiram-se às atividades de cuidados pessoais (48,2%). Pais de crianças com comprometimento motor grave (GMFCS V) apresentaram maior número de demandas relacionadas ao brincar (p=0,036), comparadas com outros níveis de comprometimento. Pais de crianças mais jovens reportaram maior número de demandas em mobilidade (p=0,025) e brincar (p=0,007) em relação aos outros grupos etários. Após seis meses, observou-se aumento significativo dos escores de desempenho (p=0,0001) e de satisfação (p=0,0001) da COPM. Conclusões: Pais de crianças com PC identificaram prioridades funcionais em áreas de desempenho semelhantes por nível de gravidade da função motora grossa e por grupo etário. Direcionar o processo ...

Functional priorities reported by parents of children with cerebral palsy: contribution to the pediatric rehabilitation process.

BACKGROUND: Collaborative actions between family and therapist are essential to the rehabilitation process, and they can be a catalyst mechanism to the positive outcomes in children with cerebral palsy (CP). OBJECTIVES: To describe functional priorities established by caregivers of CP children by level of severity and age, and to assess changes on performance and satisfaction on functional priorities reported by caregivers, in 6-month interval. METHOD: 75 CP children, weekly assisted at Associação Mineira de Reabilitação, on physical and occupational therapy services. The following information was collected: gross motor function (Gross Motor Function Classification System-GMFCS) and functional priorities established by caregivers (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure-COPM). Data were collected in two moments, with a 6-month interval. RESULTS: The main functional demands presented by caregivers were related to self-care activities (48.2%). Parents of children with severe motor impairment (GMFCS V) pointed higher number of demands related to play (p=0.0036), compared to the other severity levels. Parents of younger children reported higher number of demands in mobility (p=0.025) and play (p=0.007), compared to other age groups. After 6 months, there were significant increase on COPM performance (p=0.0001) and satisfaction scores (p=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Parents of CP children identified functional priorities in similar performance domains, by level of severity and age. Orienting the pediatric rehabilitation process to promote changes in functional priorities indentified by caregivers can contribute to the reinforcement of the parent-therapist collaboration.