The Masticatory Structure and Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy-A Pilot Study.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Physical Therapy
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Muscle tension in the head and neck impacts orofacial functions.
• Limited data exists on muscle tightness related to salivation and eating difficulties.
• Cerebral palsy (CP) patients often experience orofacial dysfunction, including drooling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between specific head and neck muscle tightness and eating problems, specifically drooling, in children with cerebral palsy.
• To identify muscles correlated with drooling behavior in pediatric CP patients.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a physiotherapy intervention in reducing drooling.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 19 pediatric patients (ages 1-14) with cerebral palsy were assessed.
• A three-month physiotherapy intervention included: strain-counterstrain technique for muscle relaxation, NeuroDevelopmental Treatment-Bobath exercises, and specific eating functional exercises.
• Muscle tone and gross motor function were evaluated pre- and post-intervention, alongside drooling frequency during feeding.

Main Results:

• Pre-therapy, tightness in the left rectus capitis posterior minor (p=0.027) and right temporalis muscles (p=0.048) correlated with drooling.
• Post-therapy, right scalene muscle tightness (p=0.024) showed a significant correlation with drooling.
• Gross motor function was not significantly correlated with drooling (p ≤ 0.05).
• Following intervention, drooling frequency decreased from 63.16% to 38.89% in the study sample.

Conclusions:

• Tightness in specific head and neck muscles, including rectus capitis posterior minor, temporalis, and scalene muscles, is associated with drooling during feeding in children with cerebral palsy.
• Physiotherapy incorporating muscle relaxation and functional exercises can effectively reduce drooling frequency in this population.