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Assessment tools and classification systems used for the upper extremity in children with cerebral palsy
1Motion Analysis Laboratory, Shriners Hospital for Children, 950 West Faris Road, Greenville, SC 29605, USA.
Insights
Choosing the right upper extremity (UE) assessment tools for children with cerebral palsy (CP) is crucial. This review compares available UE assessment tools to aid clinicians in selecting the best options for evaluating function and outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Assessment
Background:
- Children with cerebral palsy (CP) require effective tools for assessing upper extremity (UE) function.
- A wide array of assessment and outcome measurement tools are available for clinicians.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and compare upper extremity (UE) assessment and classification tools for children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- To analyze the content, methodology, and clinical utility of these instruments.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of databases including HaPI, PubMed, CINAHL Plus, and Google Scholar.
- Identification and analysis of 21 UE assessment tools for children with CP.
- Evaluation of validity and reliability studies for each tool.
Main Results:
- Tools cover ages from birth to adulthood and address International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health domains.
- Eleven tools are patient/family-reported, seven are clinician-observed, and three can be used in either manner.
- All tools demonstrated published validity evidence; nine were CP-specific, and ten were free of charge.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the psychometric properties of UE assessment tools is vital for clinicians.
- Informed selection and use of these tools enhance clinical decision-making and outcome assessment in children with CP.
Background:
Clinicians interested in assessment and outcome measurement of upper extremity (UE) function and performance in children with cerebral palsy (CP) must choose from a wide range of tools.
Questions/Purposes:
We systematically reviewed the literature for UE assessment and classification tools for children with CP to compare instrument content, methodology, and clinical use.
Methods:
We searched Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI), US National Library of Medicine (PubMed), and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL Plus) databases (1937 to the present) to identify UE assessment and outcomes tools. We identified 21 tools for further analysis and searched HaPI, PubMed, CINAHL Plus, and Google Scholar ( http://scholar.google.com/schhp?tab=ws ) databases to identify all validity and reliability studies, systematic reviews, and original references for each of the 21 tools.
Results:
The tools identified covered ages birth to adulthood. International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health domains addressed by these tools included body function, body structure, activities and participation, and environmental factors. Eleven of the tools were patient or family report, seven were clinician-based observations, and three tools could be used in either fashion. All of the tools had published evidence of validity. Nine of the tools were specifically designed for use in subjects with CP. Two of the tools required formal certification before use. Ten of the tools were provided free of charge by the investigators or institution who developed them.
Conclusions:
Familiarity with the psychometric and clinometric properties of assessment and classification tools for the UE in children with CP greatly enhances a clinician's ability to select and use these tools in daily clinical practice for both clinical decision-making and assessment of outcome.
