Active Joint Position Sense in Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
Nikolaos Chrysagis1, George A Koumantakis1, Eirini Grammatopoulou1
1Laboratory of Advanced Physiotherapy (LAdPhys) Physiotherapy Department, School of Health and Care Sciences, University of West Attica (UNIWA), Athens, GRC.
Cureus
|October 21, 2021
Summary
Children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit impaired joint position sense in their elbows. This proprioceptive deficit affects both affected and unaffected limbs and correlates with spasticity levels.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Proprioception, crucial for motor control, is often affected in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- Joint position sense (JPS) at the elbow is a key component of proprioception.
- Understanding JPS deficits in CP is vital for targeted rehabilitation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in elbow joint position sense between children with unilateral CP and typically developing (TD) children.
- To evaluate the impact of disability and limb dominance on JPS in children with CP.
- To explore the relationship between spasticity and JPS in this population.
Main Methods:
- Active joint position sense was assessed using an isokinetic dynamometer.
- 15 children with unilateral CP and 15 TD children participated.
- Statistical analyses included t-tests and correlation analysis.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in active JPS were found between children with CP and TD controls.
- Children with CP showed greater errors in JPS on both dominant and non-dominant sides compared to TD controls.
- A positive correlation was observed between spasticity severity and JPS impairment (Rho=0.71, p=0.003).
Conclusions:
- Elbow joint position sense is impaired in children with spastic hemiplegia.
- Proprioceptive deficits are present in both affected and unaffected limbs.
- The degree of spasticity is directly related to the severity of the joint position sense impairment.
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