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Effect of seat surface inclination on postural control during reaching in preterm children with cerebral palsy
Mijna Hadders-Algra1, Jolanda C van der Heide, Johanna M Fock
1Department of Developmental Neurology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands. m.hadders-algra@med.umcg.nl
Insights
Forward-tilted seats improve motor function in children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (CP). However, children with bilateral spastic CP function best with a horizontal seat, as tilting causes instability.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) affects motor function in children.
- The impact of seat surface inclination on motor skills in children with CP is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of seat surface tilting on postural control and reaching quality in children with CP.
- To determine optimal seating positions for different CP subtypes.
Main Methods:
- 58 children with CP (aged 2-11 years) participated.
- Surface electromyography and kinematic data were collected during reaching tasks.
- Three seating conditions were tested: horizontal, 15-degree forward tilt, and 15-degree backward tilt.
Main Results:
- Forward tilting improved postural control and reaching quality in children with unilateral spastic CP.
- Children with bilateral spastic CP showed increased postural instability with both forward and backward tilting.
- Seat tilting did not improve reaching quality in children with bilateral spastic CP.
Conclusions:
- Children with unilateral spastic CP benefit from a forward-tilted seat for improved postural control and reaching.
- Children with bilateral spastic CP are best suited to a horizontal sitting position for optimal postural stability.
Background And Purpose:
Because it is debatable whether seat surface inclination improves motor function in children with cerebral palsy (CP), the effect of seat surface tilting on postural control and quality of reaching was studied.
Subjects:
The subjects were 58 children with CP aged 2 to 11 years (34 with unilateral spastic CP, 24 with bilateral spastic CP).
Methods:
During the task of reaching movements, surface electromyographic and kinematic data were recorded for posture and reaching with the dominant arm in 3 sitting conditions: horizontal seat surface, seat surface tilted forward 15 degrees, and seat surface tilted backward 15 degrees.
Results:
In the children with unilateral spastic CP, forward tilting improved postural efficiency and quality of reaching. In the children with bilateral spastic CP, both forward and backward tilting of the seat surface was associated with more postural instability and did not affect the quality of reaching.
Discussion And Conclusion:
The results suggest that, in terms of postural control and quality of reaching, children with unilateral spastic CP benefit from a forward-tilted position and children with bilateral spastic CP benefit from a horizontal sitting position.
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