Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 2, 2025
Author Spotlight: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Movement Observation in Cerebral Palsy
Published on: August 9, 2024
Spectrum of Movement Disorders and Correlation with Functional Status in Children with Cerebral Palsy
Narayanaswamy Suresh1, Divyani Garg2, Sanjay Pandey3
1Department of Pediatrics (Neurology Division), Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospitals, New Delhi, India.
Insights
Movement disorders (MD) are common in children with cerebral palsy (CP), particularly in dyskinetic CP. However, these diverse MDs do not correlate with overall functional status.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Disabilities
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) is a complex neurological condition affecting movement and posture.
- Movement disorders (MD) are a significant component of CP, impacting a child's functional abilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and types of movement disorders in children with cerebral palsy.
- To evaluate the relationship between movement disorders and functional status in pediatric CP patients.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 113 children diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
- Assessment of movement disorders and functional status using standardized tools like the Hypertonia Assessment Tool (HAT), Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS E&R), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), and Communication Function Classification System (CFCS).
Main Results:
- 46% of children with CP exhibited movement disorders, with dystonia being the most frequent (28%).
- Children with dyskinetic CP showed a significantly higher incidence of MDs (93%) compared to other CP types.
- No significant correlation was found between the presence of MDs and functional classifications (GMFCS E&R, MACS, CFCS).
Conclusions:
- Diverse movement disorders are prevalent in children with cerebral palsy.
- Despite their frequency, movement disorders do not appear to correlate with broad measures of functional status in this population.
- The study's findings are limited by a small sample size, necessitating further research.
Objectives:
To detail the spectrum of movement disorders (MD) among children with cerebral palsy (CP) and assess impact on functional status.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, children with CP were recruited and examined for various MDs. Tone abnormality was assessed using Hypertonia Assessment Tool (HAT), functional status using Gross Motor Function Classification System Expanded and Revised (GMFCS E&R), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), and Communication Function Classification System (CFCS). These scores were classified into mild-moderate (level I-III)/severe (level IV-V) categories.
Results:
A total of 113 children (mean age 4.9 ± 3.4 y, 66.4% boys) were enrolled. MDs were noted in 52 (46%) children; the most frequent were dystonia (28%), chorea (14%), choreoathetosis (8%). Of 64 children with quadriparetic CP, 27 (42.2%) demonstrated MDs. Of 19 children with hemiparetic CP, 2 (10.5%) had MDs. Of 16 children with dyskinetic CP, 15 (93%) had MDs. Children with dyskinetic CP had significantly higher frequency of MDs (p = 0.001). There was no difference in occurrence of all MDs or dystonia aloneamongst the two categories (mild-moderate/severe) of GMFCS E&R levels, CFCS levels or MACS levels.
Conclusion:
Although diverse MDs occur frequently in CP, these do not correlate with the broad functional status of the child. The study is limited by small sample size.
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
11:31Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy of the Sensory and Motor Brain Regions with Simultaneous Kinematic and EMG Monitoring During Motor Tasks
Published on: December 5, 2014
