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Cerebral palsy: correlation of risk factors and functional performance using the Functional Independence Measure for
Virginia Wong1, Brian Chung, Stella Hui
1Division of Neurodevelopmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. vcnwong@hkucc.hku.hk
Insights
Epilepsy and cerebral palsy severity significantly impact functional status in children. However, most children with cerebral palsy can achieve functional independence despite their condition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder affecting motor function.
- Understanding factors influencing functional status is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify risk factors associated with functional dependency in children with cerebral palsy.
- To analyze the relationship between specific risk factors and functional outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 73 children diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
- Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM) used to assess self-care, mobility, and cognition.
- Univariate and multivariate analyses employed to determine risk factor significance.
Main Results:
- Epilepsy and severity of cerebral palsy (using Gross Motor Function Classification System) were significant predictors of functional status.
- Prematurity was associated with better functional outcomes.
- Univariate analysis also identified mental retardation and CP type as risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Functional status in children with cerebral palsy is primarily influenced by epilepsy and severity.
- Early identification and management of these factors can improve functional independence.
- Most children with cerebral palsy can achieve a degree of functional independence.
Abstract:
We studied the risk factors affecting the functional status of cerebral palsy. A cross-sectional study of 73 children with cerebral palsy was conducted with the Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM), which assesses functional skills in the domains of self-care, mobility, and cognition. The mean total Functional Independence Measure for Children quotient was 67.5%. The mean subquotients for self-care, mobility, and cognition were 68.3%, 62.7%, and 69.4%, respectively. The risk factors related to the degree of functional dependency were (1) mental retardation (P = .030), (2) epilepsy (P = .005), (3) type of cerebral palsy (P < .001), and (4) severity of cerebral palsy using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (P < .001) (using univariate analysis). However, when using multivariate analysis, only epilepsy (P = .02) and severity status according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System (P < .001) were significantly related. When the etiology was analyzed, only prematurity was significantly associated with better Functional Independence Measure for Children scores using both univariate (P = .022) and multivariate (P = .007) analyses. The functional status of children with cerebral palsy depends on the severity and the presence of epilepsy. Despite impairment, we found that most children with cerebral palsy could achieve functional independence.
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