Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 16, 2026
Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
Interrelationships of Functional Status and Health Conditions in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Descriptive Study
Doreen Bartlett1, Emily Dyszuk, Barbara Galuppi
1School of Physical Therapy (Dr Bartlett), Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Sudbury Prosthetic and Orthotic Design (Ms Dyszuk), Sudbury, Ontario, Canada; CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research (Ms Galuppi), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pediatrics and CanChild (Mr Gorter), McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Purpose:
To examine the relationship among the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), and the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to determine the average number and effect of health conditions.
Methods:
Participants were 671 children with CP aged 2 to 12 years from Canada and the United States. Cross-tabulation of functional classifications and averages were computed for the number and impact of health conditions and comparisons among groups.
Results:
A total of 78 of the 125 possible classification combinations were recorded. Most frequent were GMFCS I, MACS I, CFCS I; GMFCS I, MACS II, CFCS I; and GMFCS II, MACS II, CFCS I. With lower levels of function, the average number and average impact of associated health conditions increased.
Conclusions:
The use of functional profiles across classification systems, with data on the associated health conditions, provides a more comprehensive picture of CP than any single classification or measure.
More Related Videos
08:26Event-related Potentials During Target-response Tasks to Study Cognitive Processes of Upper Limb Use in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
Published on: January 11, 2016
07:20Author Spotlight: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Movement Observation in Cerebral Palsy
Published on: August 9, 2024