Correlation between Pediatric Balance Scale and Functional Test in Children with Cerebral Palsy
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Published on: August 9, 2024
Natália de A C Duarte1, Luanda André Collange Grecco2, Renata Calhes Franco2
1Master Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Nove de Julho, Brasil.
Insights
The Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) shows a good correlation with mobility function in children with cerebral palsy. However, the PBS is not a reliable predictor of overall functional performance in this population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders affecting movement and posture.
- Assessing functional performance is crucial for managing children with CP.
- Functional balance is a key component of daily activities for children with CP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between functional balance and functional performance in children with CP.
- To evaluate the utility of the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) in assessing functional performance.
- To determine if the PBS can predict functional outcomes in children with CP.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving children with mild to moderate CP.
- Participants were categorized into three groups based on motor impairment severity.
- Functional balance was assessed using the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS).
- Functional performance was evaluated using the Pediatric Evaluation Disability Inventory (PEDI).
- Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to analyze the relationship between PBS and PEDI scores.
Main Results:
- Strong positive correlation (r=0.82) between PBS and PEDI mobility in Group 1 (mild impairment).
- Moderate correlations observed between PBS and PEDI self-care/mobility across different impairment groups.
- Weak correlation (r=0.11) between PBS and PEDI self-care in Group 3 (moderate impairment).
Conclusions:
- The PBS is a valuable supplementary tool for assessing mobility function in children with CP.
- The PBS's predictive value for overall functional performance in children with CP is limited.
- Further research may explore other tools for comprehensive functional assessment in CP.
Abstract:
[Purpose] To investigate the correlation of functional balance with the functional performance of children with cerebral palsy. [Subjects and Methods] This was a cross-sectional study of children with cerebral palsy with mild to moderate impairment. The children were divided into 3 groups based on motor impairment. The evaluation consisted of the administration of the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) and the Pediatric Evaluation Disability Inventory. Correlations between the instruments were determined by calculating Pearson's correlation coefficients. [Results] In Group 1, a strong positive correlation was found between the PBS and the mobility dimension of the Pediatric Evaluation Disability Inventory (r=0.82), and a moderate correlation was found between the PBS and self-care dimension of the Pediatric Evaluation Disability Inventory (r=0.51). In Group 2, moderate correlations were found between the PBS and both the self-care dimension (r=0.57) and mobility dimension (r=0.41) of the Pediatric Evaluation Disability Inventory. In Group 3, the PBS was weakly correlated with the self-care dimension (r=0.11) and moderately correlated with the mobility dimension (r=0.55). [Conclusion] The PBS proved to be a good auxiliary tool for the evaluation of functional performance with regard to mobility, but cannot be considered a predictor of function in children with cerebral palsy.
