Effect of body-scaled information on reaching in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy: a pilot study
Hsiang-Han Huang1, Terry D Ellis, Robert C Wagenaar
1Department of Occupational Therapy and Graduate Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Healthy Aging Research Center (Dr Huang), Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan; Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training (Drs Huang, Ellis, and Wagenaar), College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy (Drs Huang and Fetters), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Pediatrics (Dr Fetters), Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
Insights
Children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy and typically developing children use similar body-scaled information for reaching. This suggests a consistent "fit" between object size and hand aperture for both groups.
Area of Science:
- Developmental motor control
- Pediatric physical therapy
Background:
- Children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP) exhibit altered motor patterns.
- Understanding reach kinematics in HCP is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate body-scaled information guiding reach-to-grasp movements in young children with HCP.
- To compare reach patterns between children with HCP and typically developing (TD) children.
Main Methods:
- Nine children with HCP and 9 TD children (3-5 years) reached for 10 different cube pairs.
- Reach data were analyzed using dimensionless ratios (object size/maximal hand aperture).
- A critical ratio determined the transition from one-handed to two-handed reaches.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in the critical ratio was found between preferred and non-preferred arms within or between groups.
- All children consistently used a two-handed reach at a similar dimensionless ratio.
Conclusions:
- The findings demonstrate a consistent relationship between environmental constraints (cube size) and individual capabilities (hand aperture) for reaching in both groups.
- This suggests that body-scaled information plays a key role in regulating reach-to-grasp actions across different developmental trajectories.
Purpose:
This study examined body-scaled information that specifies the reach patterns of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy and children with typical development.
Methods:
Nine children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (3-5 years) and 9 age-matched children with typical development participated in the study. They were required to reach and grasp 10 different pairs of cubes. Reach data were coded as either a 1-handed reach or a 2-handed reach. Dimensionless ratios were calculated by dividing the cube size by the maximal aperture between the index finger and thumb. A critical ratio was used to establish the shift from a 1-handed to an exclusive 2-handed reach.
Results:
The critical ratio was not significantly different for either preferred or nonpreferred arms within and between groups. All children used an exclusive 2-handed reach at a similar dimensionless ratio.
Conclusion:
Our study provides evidence of the "fit" between environment (cube size) and the individual's capabilities (finger aperture) for reaching for both groups.
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