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Decline in Motor Function during the COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions and Its Recovery in a Child with Cerebral Palsy:
Daiki Asano1, Naoko Kikuchi2, Toru Yamakawa2
1Department of Rehabilitation, Japan Baptist Hospital, Kyoto 606-8273, Japan.
Insights
Physical therapy is crucial for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Discontinuing therapy during COVID-19 lockdowns led to significant motor function decline in a young boy with CP, highlighting the need for consistent treatment and telerehabilitation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
- Neurology
- Public Health
Background:
- Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often face mobility challenges.
- The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns presented unique obstacles to consistent therapy for children with CP.
Observation:
- A 7-year-old boy with CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System level IV) experienced a decline in motor function during a four-month period without physical therapy due to lockdown.
- Key functional losses included decreased sitting posture maintenance and lower extremity weight-bearing capacity.
Findings:
- The patient's Gross Motor Function Measure score decreased from 34.5% to 31.9% during the therapy hiatus.
- Following the resumption of physical therapy, recovery of pre-lockdown function took twice as long as the confinement period.
Implications:
- Frequent physical therapy is essential for maintaining motor function in non-ambulatory children with CP.
- The development of telerehabilitation services is urgently needed to ensure continuity of care during future disruptions.
Abstract:
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) experience various restrictions owing to their underdeveloped mobility. Home confinement due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic may further increase these restrictions. We report the case of a 7-year-old boy with CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System level IV) whose motor function declined during the period when physical therapy was discontinued due to lockdown, approximately four months. At the end of the home confinement, the patient's ability to maintain a sitting posture and weight-bearing capacity of the lower extremities decreased. His Gross Motor Function Measure total score also decreased from 34.5% to 31.9%. After resuming physical therapy, the patient recovered the function status seen before the discontinuation of physical therapy, but this took almost twice as long as the confinement period. We reaffirm that frequent physical therapy is crucial for maintaining motor function in non-ambulatory children with CP. As a countermeasure for the future, urgent efforts are needed for the development of telerehabilitation.
