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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
Computerized Dynamic Posturography for Postural Control Assessment in Patients with Intermittent Claudication
Published on: December 11, 2013
Head stability during quiet sitting in children with cerebral palsy: effect of vision and trunk support
Sandra Saavedra1, Marjorie Woollacott, Paul van Donkelaar
1Department of Human Physiology and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, 122C Esslinger Hall, Eugene, OR 97403-1240, USA. ssaavedr@uoregon.edu
Insights
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit significant head instability during sitting, even with trunk support. Visual conditions impact head stability differently based on age and CP subtype, highlighting motor control challenges.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Postural control deficits are a primary characteristic of disability in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- The precise causes of these postural deficits remain incompletely understood.
- Head stability during sitting is a key indicator of postural control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate head stability during quiet sitting in children with CP.
- To investigate the influence of varying trunk support and visual conditions on head stability.
- To compare postural control in children with CP to typically developing (TD) children and adults.
Main Methods:
- Measured head stability in the sagittal and frontal planes during quiet sitting.
- Manipulated trunk support and visual input (eyes open/closed).
- Included 15 children with CP (6-16 years), 26 TD children (4-14 years), and 11 adults.
Main Results:
- Children with CP showed greater head movement than adults across most conditions.
- Vision's effect on head stability varied by plane, age, and CP subtype.
- Spastic CP group worsened with eyes closed; dyskinetic CP group improved.
Conclusions:
- Children with mild to moderate CP demonstrate impaired head stability during sitting.
- Trunk support and vision play differential roles in compensating for postural deficits.
- Understanding these factors is crucial for targeted interventions in CP.
Abstract:
Deficits in postural control are one of the hallmarks of disability in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Yet, much remains unknown regarding the etiology of postural deficits in these children. Here we evaluated postural control at a simplified task level by measuring head stability during quiet sitting while systematically manipulating the level of trunk support and vision in 15 children with CP (6-16 years), 26 typically developing (TD) children (4-14 years), and 11 adults. While TD children did not differ significantly from adults, children with CP had greater head movement than adults in both the sagittal and frontal planes under all conditions except frontal plane movement with Torso Support. Vision did not affect head stability in the sagittal plane for any group while it had differential effects on head stability in the frontal plane. Lack of vision improved head stability in adults and older TD children while destabilizing the head in young children (TD and CP) during the most unstable sitting position. Moreover, vision affected children with CP differently depending on their movement disorder. Children with spastic CP performed worse with eyes closed while those with dyskinetic CP had improved head stability with eyes closed. Our results demonstrate that children with mild to moderate CP have deficits in head stability even during quiet sitting.
