Measuring changes in functional mobility in children with mild cerebral palsy

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Rehabilitation
• Neuromuscular Disorders
• Functional Mobility Assessment

Background:

• Cerebral palsy (CP) significantly impacts functional mobility in children.
• Assessing changes in motor function is crucial for effective intervention.
• The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) is a standard tool, but complementary mobility tests are valuable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Timed Up and Down Stairs (TUDS) tests.
• To detect changes in functional mobility in children with mild cerebral palsy (CP).
• To support the use of TUG and TUDS as complementary assessments.

Main Methods:

• A study involving six children with spastic CP (GMFCS Level I or II).
• Functional mobility assessed using TUG and TUDS before and after an 8-week follow-up.
• Gross motor function measured by the GMFM.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in GMFM scores for standing (D) and walking/running/jumping (E) dimensions.
• Reduced completion times for TUG and TUDS after the intervention period.
• Negative correlations observed between GMFM dimension E and TUG/TUDS performance.

Conclusions:

• Changes in gross motor skills (GMFM) are associated with improvements in movement speed (TUG, TUDS).
• TUG and TUDS can effectively complement GMFM in assessing functional mobility changes in children with CP.
• These findings support the use of TUG and TUDS for monitoring pediatric rehabilitation outcomes.