Examination of Motor Imagery Ability in Individuals With Diplegic Cerebral Palsy: Case-Control Study

Given the important role of motor imagery (MI) in rehabilitation, this study aimed to compare MI abilities in individuals with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (SDCP) and typically-developing (TD), and to determine the factors associated with MI ability in SDCP.

This study was planned as a cross-sectional, case-control study. SDCP (n = 26) and TD (n = 26) individuals participated in the study. SDCP individuals were selected from Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers, while TD participants were recruited from relatives of patients receiving therapy at these centers and from volunteers responding to bulletin board announcements. All assessments were performed before or after the weekly physiotherapy sessions, to avoid interfering with routine physiotherapy and rehabilitation sessions. Visual and kinesthetic imagery abilities were assessed using the Movement imagery questionnaire for children (MIQ-C), Implicit MI capacity laterality task, and Explicit MI capacity mental chronometry.

The SDCP group had a mean age of 11.69 (3.78) years, consisting of 12 females and 14 males; 10 participants were classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Level I and 16 as Level II. The TD group had a mean age of 11.50 (2.30) years, including 16 females and 10 males. A significant difference was found between the groups in MIQ-C and mental chronometry performance (p < 0.05). While there was a significant difference in reaction time according to dominance in SDCP (p = 0.038), there was no difference in accuracy rate (p = 0.699). Reaction time and accuracy rate were significantly different between groups according to dominance (p < 0.05). There was no correlation between MIQ-C total score, dominant reaction time and accuracy rate and age, Body Mass Index (BMI), and GMFCS (p > 0.05). While age and BMI were not related to mental chronometry; GMFCS was found to have a significant positive effect on mental chronometry (p = 0.000).

In children with SDCP MI ability differs from that of typically developing peers, being weaker across all assessed subparameters. Moreover, MI ability showed a moderate association with the GMFCS level.