Perspectives on Postural Control Dysfunction to Inform Future Research: A Delphi Study for Children With Cerebral...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Rehabilitation
• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Postural control dysfunction is a key challenge in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
• Varied definitions, assessments, and treatments complicate clinical practice and research.
• Establishing consensus is crucial for advancing CP care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine consensus among experts on defining, assessing, and treating postural control dysfunction in children with CP.
• To identify areas requiring further research and development in CP postural control management.

Main Methods:

• A 3-round Delphi study involving 43 international researchers and clinicians experienced with CP.
• Electronic surveys were used to gather expert opinions on postural control definitions, frameworks, assessments, and interventions.
• Consensus was defined as ≥85% agreement on survey items.

Main Results:

• Consensus was achieved for 90% of postural control definition items.
• Only 14% of theoretical framework items and 42% of assessment items reached consensus.
• 61% of intervention items achieved consensus, with individual assessment items (89%) performing better than multi-item tools (4%).

Conclusions:

• A consensus definition for postural control in children with CP was established.
• Significant research gaps exist in developing a comprehensive framework and assessment tools for postural control in CP.
• Standardized assessments and frameworks are needed to guide effective intervention selection and dosage for children with CP.