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Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Event-related Potentials During Target-response Tasks to Study Cognitive Processes of Upper Limb Use in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
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Event-related Potentials During Target-response Tasks to Study Cognitive Processes of Upper Limb Use in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy

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Relationship Between Postural Control, Quality of Upper Limb Skills, and Functional Independence in Children with

Shruti Krishna1, Amitesh Narayan1, Shreekanth D Karnad1

  • 1Department of Physiotherapy, Kasturba Medical College Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.

Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics
|January 22, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Postural control in children with cerebral palsy (CP) is strongly linked to upper limb (UL) skills and functional independence. Improving balance can enhance both abilities in children with CP.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Rehabilitation
  • Neuroscience
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Cerebral palsy (CP) significantly impacts motor function, affecting postural control, upper limb (UL) skills, and overall functional independence in children.
  • Understanding the interplay between these domains is crucial for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between postural control, quality of upper limb (UL) skills, and functional independence in children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP).

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 36 children (aged 3-8 years) with CP, categorized by Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) and Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) levels I-V.
  • Postural control was assessed using the Early Clinical Assessment of Balance (ECAB).
  • Upper limb (UL) skills were evaluated with the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (QUEST), and functional independence with the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT).
  • Statistical analyses included Spearman's correlation and multiple linear regression.

Main Results:

  • Significant positive correlations were observed between postural control (ECAB) and UL skills (QUEST) (ρ=0.823, p<0.001).
  • Strong correlations were also found between postural control (ECAB) and functional independence (PEDI-CAT) (ρ=0.781, p<0.01), and between UL skills (QUEST) and functional independence (PEDI-CAT) (ρ=0.872, p<0.001).
  • Regression models indicated that postural control, UL skills, and MACS levels collectively explained substantial variance in functional independence and UL skills.

Conclusions:

  • Postural control demonstrates a significant correlation with both upper limb (UL) skills and functional independence in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
  • These findings underscore the importance of addressing postural control in therapeutic strategies aimed at improving functional outcomes for children with CP.
Abstract

Keywords:
Activities of daily livingcerebral palsyfunctional statuspostural controlupper extremity/upper limbupper limb skills

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