Manual ability and manual dexterity in children with cerebral palsy
1Department of Special Rehabilitation and Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia.
Insights
Gross manual dexterity effectively predicts manual ability in children with cerebral palsy. This finding aids in understanding dexterity limitations and optimizing treatment for children with cerebral palsy.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Manual ability and dexterity tasks involve complex hand coordination.
- Children with cerebral palsy often exhibit challenges in manual performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess manual dexterity capacity in children with cerebral palsy.
- To examine the relationship between manual dexterity and manual ability (performance).
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 30 children with cerebral palsy (ages 8-15).
- Box and Block Test for gross manual dexterity.
- Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) for manual ability.
Main Results:
- Significant correlation found between manual ability impairment and dexterity task performance.
- Children at MACS level IV showed significantly lower performance.
- Correlation between Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) and MACS was significant.
Conclusions:
- Gross manual dexterity is a strong predictor of manual abilities in children with cerebral palsy.
- Findings enhance understanding of dexterity limitations and activity restrictions.
- Supports the use of GMFCS and MACS for treatment planning and progress evaluation.
Introduction:
Manual ability and performance of dexterity tasks require both gross and fine hand motions and coordination. The aim of this study was to determine the level of manual dexterity (capacity) and investigate its relationship with manual ability (performance) in children with cerebral palsy.
Method:
This study was designed as a cross-sectional study of 30 children with cerebral palsy (aged 8-15 years). In order to assess gross manual dexterity the Box and Block Test was used. Manual ability was assessed according to Manual Ability Classification System (MACS).
Results:
A relationship between the level of manual ability impairment and performance on manual dexterity tasks was expressed. Participants at MACS level IV demonstrated slowest times and transferred the smallest number of blocks (p<0.01). This study also found that correlation between Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) and MACS is statistically significant (p<0.001). All hand skills were more impaired in the non-dominant hand compared to the dominant hand but there were no statistically significant difference (p=0.06).
Conclusion:
The results suggest that gross manual dexterity is a good predictor of manual abilities in children with cerebral palsy. These results provide better understanding of the relationship between manual dexterity and activity limitations and lend credibility to the use of these classification systems and assessments in order to optimize treatment planning and evaluate interventions and progress. Hippokratia 2014; 18 (4): 310-314.
