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Postural balance in children with cerebral palsy
Jessica Rose1, Don R Wolff, Vincent K Jones
1Motion and Gait Analysis Laboratory, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. jrose.agramonte@medcenter.stanford.edu
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
|January 29, 2002
Summary
Standing balance was assessed in children with cerebral palsy (CP). While many showed normal balance, some had deficits, indicating potential gait disorder factors.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Biomechanics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Postural control deficits are implicated in gait disorders in cerebral palsy (CP).
- Understanding standing balance is crucial for managing CP-related mobility issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate standing balance in ambulatory children and adolescents with spastic diplegic CP.
- To compare their balance parameters with those of typically developing children.
Main Methods:
- 23 ambulatory children with CP (ages 5-18) and 92 controls stood on a force plate.
- Center of pressure (COP) measures, including path length, radial displacement, sway frequency, diffusion coefficient, and scaling exponent, were analyzed with eyes open and closed.
Main Results:
- Most children with CP (14/23) had normal standing balance.
- However, 8/23 showed abnormal values in at least two COP measures.
- Participants with CP exhibited higher path length, radial displacement, and diffusion coefficient, and lower sway frequency and scaling exponent compared to controls (p<0.05).
- Increased average radial displacement was the most frequent deficit (9/23).
- Visual feedback dependence was generally normal in the CP group.
Conclusions:
- Standing balance impairments are present in a subset of ambulatory children with spastic diplegic CP.
- Specific COP measures can identify individuals with postural control deficits.
- These findings aid in understanding gait disorders and guiding therapeutic interventions in CP.