Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026
Measurements of Motor Function and Other Clinical Outcome Parameters in Ambulant Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Published on: January 12, 2019
The Gross Motor Performance Measure: validity and responsiveness of a measure of quality of movement
W F Boyce1, C Gowland, P L Rosenbaum
1School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Insights
This study validated a gross motor performance measure for children with cerebral palsy (CP). The tool effectively detected changes in movement quality, distinguishing between stable and responsive patient groups.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric rehabilitation
- Movement science
- Clinical assessment tools
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) significantly impacts gross motor function in children.
- Accurate assessment tools are crucial for tracking treatment efficacy.
- Existing measures may not fully capture subtle changes in movement quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate a gross motor performance measure for children aged 0-12 years with cerebral palsy.
- To assess the measure's sensitivity in detecting changes in movement quality over time.
- To evaluate the measure's utility in differentiating patient response to interventions.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study involving 106 children with cerebral palsy, 18 with head injuries, and 29 controls.
- Physical therapists administered the measure on two occasions, 4-6 months apart.
- Validity was assessed by comparing measure changes across diagnostic groups, severity levels, and age brackets.
Main Results:
- The gross motor performance measure demonstrated supported a priori hypotheses regarding its validity.
- The measure showed differential responsiveness to changes in "stable" and "responsive" patient groups.
- Relationships between the measure and parent/therapist ratings were not clearly established.
Conclusions:
- The validated gross motor performance measure is a sensitive tool for assessing children with cerebral palsy.
- The measure can distinguish between children with different prognoses or treatment responses.
- Further research may be needed to correlate findings with subjective clinical ratings.
Background And Purpose:
This article presents the results of a study to validate a measure of gross motor performance for its capacity to detect changes in the quality of movement in children with cerebral palsy aged 0 to 12 years.
Subjects And Methods:
On two occasions, 4 to 6 months apart, physical therapists from three children's treatment centers assessed 106 children with cerebral palsy, 18 children who had sustained an acute head injury, and 29 nondisabled children. Validity was demonstrated by comparing changes on the measure across diagnoses, severity, and age groups.
Results:
Several a priori hypotheses were supported; however, relationships with parent and therapist ratings were not clearly demonstrated.
Conclusion And Discussion:
The measure was found to be differentially responsive to changes in "stable" and "responsive" groups.
