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Sitting postural control affects the development of focused attention in children with cerebral palsy
Swati M Surkar1, Christina Edelbrock, Nicholas Stergiou
1Munroe Meyer Institute of Genetics and Rehabilitation (Mss Surkar and Edelbrock), University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska; Nebraska Biomechanics Core Facility (Dr Stergiou), University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska; Department of Psychology (Dr Berger), College of Staten Island of City University of New York, Staten Island, New York; John G. Rangos School of Health Sciences (Dr Harbourne), Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Insights
Focused attention (FA) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) develops alongside sitting postural control. Early mobility may decrease sustained attention, impacting learning opportunities.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Science
Background:
- Sitting postural control is crucial for development in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- The relationship between motor development and cognitive functions like focused attention (FA) in CP is not well understood.
- Understanding this link can inform early intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if focused attention (FA) evolves with improvements in sitting postural control in children with CP.
- To assess if impaired sitting postural control influences the development of FA in children with CP.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of nineteen children with cerebral palsy (CP), with a mean age of 21.47 months, participated.
- Focused attention (FA) and sitting postural control scores were evaluated before and after an intervention period.
Main Results:
- Children achieving independent sitting showed increased longest, total, and global FA, with decreased FA frequency.
- Conversely, children who achieved mobility post-intervention demonstrated a decrease in longest FA and an increase in FA frequency.
- These findings suggest distinct attentional patterns associated with different motor milestones.
Conclusions:
- Sitting postural control and the development of focused attention (FA) appear interconnected in children with CP.
- Increased FA may represent a critical window for object-focused learning.
- The emergence of early mobility might disrupt sustained attention, potentially limiting prolonged engagement with objects.
Purpose:
To investigate whether focused attention (FA) changes over time as sitting postural control improves and whether an impairment in sitting postural control affects the development of FA in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
Methods:
Nineteen children with CP, mean ages 21.47 months, were assessed for FA and sitting scores pre- and postintervention.
Results:
Longest, total, and global FA increased and frequency of FA decreased in children who achieved independent sitting. However, children who achieved mobility postintervention exhibited a decrease in longest FA and an increase in frequency of FA.
Conclusion:
Sitting postural control and the development of FA appear associated in children with CP. The increase in FA may signal a key opportunity for learning and attending to objects. However, the time of early mobility may interrupt these long periods of attention, resulting in less sustained attention to objects.
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