Lower extremity sensory function in children with cerebral palsy

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Pediatrics
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Cerebral palsy (CP) affects motor function, and sensory deficits in the lower extremities (LE) are common.
• Qualitative sensory testing is crucial for understanding neurological impairments in children.
• Assessing LE sensory function in children with CP, particularly spastic diplegia, requires feasible and reliable methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of qualitative sensory testing in the LE of children with CP.
• To compare LE sensory function between children with CP and typically developing children.
• To determine the impact of dorsal rhizotomy on LE sensory function in children with spastic diplegia.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational cohort study for feasibility and comparative analysis.
• Interventional study design for evaluating dorsal rhizotomy effects.
• Involved 62 children with CP and 65 typical children (ages 3-18), and 34 children with spastic diplegia undergoing dorsal rhizotomy.
• Standard qualitative techniques assessed pain, light touch, scratch direction, vibration, and joint position sense in the LE.

Main Results:

• Qualitative sensory testing in LE was feasible in children with CP.
• Children with CP showed significantly lower scores for direction of scratch, toe position, and vibration sense compared to typical children.
• Dorsal rhizotomy did not result in measurable changes in LE sensory function in children with spastic diplegia.

Conclusions:

• Qualitative sensory testing of the LE is a feasible method for assessing children with CP.
• A qualitative sensory deficit, particularly in modalities associated with dorsal column function, is present in children with CP.
• Conservative dorsal rhizotomy does not appear to alter LE sensory function in children with spastic diplegia.