Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 25, 2026
Measurement & Analysis of the Temporal Discrimination Threshold Applied to Cervical Dystonia
Published on: January 27, 2018
Identification and measurement of dystonia in cerebral palsy
James Rice1,2, Pawel Skuza3, Felicity Baker1
1Paediatric Rehabilitation Department, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Insights
Dystonia is common in children with cerebral palsy (CP), co-occurring with spasticity. The Hypertonia Assessment Tool (HAT) effectively identifies dystonia, with severity linked to motor function decline.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Movement Disorders
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders affecting movement and posture, often accompanied by other neurological conditions.
- Dystonia, characterized by involuntary muscle contractions, is a frequent comorbidity in CP, impacting motor function and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and severity of dystonia in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- To evaluate the utility of the Hypertonia Assessment Tool (HAT) and Barry-Albright Dystonia scale (BAD) in assessing dystonia in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 151 children with CP.
- Assessment using the Hypertonia Assessment Tool (HAT) and Barry-Albright Dystonia scale (BAD).
- Analysis of dystonia prevalence and severity across different predominant motor types (PMT) and functional levels.
Main Results:
- Dystonia was widespread in both spastic and dyskinetic CP groups.
- The dyskinetic group exhibited higher mean BAD scores compared to the spastic group.
- Dystonia severity, measured by BAD scores, correlated inversely with gross motor, manual ability, and communication function.
Conclusions:
- The Hypertonia Assessment Tool (HAT) is effective in identifying dystonia in children with CP, irrespective of their predominant motor type.
- Dystonia frequently coexists with spasticity in CP.
- Increased dystonia severity is associated with poorer motor function in children with CP.
Aim:
To establish the prevalence and severity of dystonia in a population of children with cerebral palsy (CP) with hypertonia assessment and measurement tools.
Method:
A cross-sectional study of 151 children (84 males, 67 females) with CP who were assessed with the Hypertonia Assessment Tool (HAT) and Barry-Albright Dystonia scale (BAD) for identification and measurement of severity of dystonia. HAT dystonia items were assessed for construct and convergent validity.
Results:
Distribution by predominant motor type (PMT) was: 85% spastic, 14% dyskinetic, and 1% ataxic. Spastic and dyskinetic groups showed widespread evidence of dystonia according to HAT profiles and BAD scores. The dyskinetic PMT group had a higher mean BAD score than the spastic group (difference of 13 units, 95% CI 9.1-16.4). Dystonia severity (BAD score) increased linearly across gross motor (p<0.001), manual ability (p<0.001) and communication functional levels (p<0.001). Divergence was noted in how HAT item six identified dystonia compared to items one and two.
Interpretation:
The HAT provided an estimate of the prevalence of both spasticity and dystonia in a large CP population, beyond predominant motor type. Dystonia is a common finding in the spastic PMT group, and its severity increases as motor function worsens.
What This Paper Adds:
Dystonia is readily identified in cerebral palsy (CP) using the Hypertonia Assessment Tool, regardless of the predominant motor type. Spasticity and dystonia frequently coexist in the CP population. Severity of dystonia is inversely related to motor function.
More Related Videos
10:41Implantation of Osmotic Pumps and Induction of Stress to Establish a Symptomatic, Pharmacological Mouse Model for DYT/PARK-ATP1A3 Dystonia
Published on: September 12, 2020
05:51Induction and Assessment of Levodopa-induced Dyskinesias in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease
Published on: October 14, 2021