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The association between motor capacity and motor performance in school-aged children with cerebral palsy: An
Min-Hwa Suk1, In-Kyeong Park2, Soojin Yoo3
1Department of Physical Education, Seoul National University of Education, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Insights
Increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is crucial for children with cerebral palsy (CP), particularly those with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels II and III, to improve motor capacity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric rehabilitation
- Motor control and learning
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) affects motor function in children.
- Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) categorizes CP severity.
- Understanding the link between motor capacity and performance is vital for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between motor capacity and motor performance in children with CP.
- To analyze this association across different GMFCS levels (I-III).
Main Methods:
- Included 46 children with CP (GMFCS levels I-III).
- Assessed motor capacity using GMFM, PBS, TUG, and 6MWT.
- Measured motor performance and physical activity using triaxial accelerometers.
Main Results:
- Children with GMFCS level I had higher motor capacity than levels II/III.
- GMFCS levels II/III children exhibited lower physical activity levels.
- %MVPA positively correlated with GMFM-66 in GMFCS levels II/III, but not level I.
Conclusions:
- Higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA) is linked to better motor capacity in children with CP.
- Interventions should focus on increasing %MVPA, especially for GMFCS levels II and III.
Background:
This study aimed to investigate the association between motor capacity and motor performance in children with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 6-12 years with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I to III.
Methods:
Forty-six children with CP (24 boys and 22 girls) classified as GMFCS levels Ⅰ, Ⅱ, or Ⅲ were included. Motor capacity was measured by the Gross motor function measure (GMFM), Pediatric balance scale (PBS), Timed up and go (TUG), and 6-min walk test (6MWT). Motor performance was measured by triaxial accelerometers. Estimations of physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) (kcal/kg/day), percentage of time spent on physical activity (% sedentary physical activity; %SPA; % light physical activity, %LPA; % moderate physical activity, %MPA; % vigorous physical activity %VPA; and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, %MVPA), and activity counts (counts/minute) were obtained.
Results:
Children with GMFCS level I showed a significantly higher motor capacity (GMFM-66, GMFM-88, D-dimension and E-dimension, PBS and 6MWT) than those with level II or III. Children with GMFCS level II and/or III had significantly lower physical activity (PAEE, % MPA, % VPA, %MVPA, and activity counts) than children with GMFCS level I. Multiple linear regression analysis (dependent variable, GMFM-66) showed that %MVPA was positively associated with GMFM-66 in the GMFCS level II & III children but not in GMFCS level I children.
Conclusions:
These findings highlight the importance of increasing %MVPA in children with CP, especially GMFCS levels II and III.
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