Performance of adults with cerebral palsy related to falls, balance and function: A preliminary report

Abstract

Aim: To describe performance on standardised measures of functional mobility and identify relationships between gait decline, falls history and risk scores, and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level.

Method: Adults with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 30–65 years, GMFCS Levels I–III underwent a single assessment to complete performance and questionnaire measures of balance, mobility and falls.

Results: Twenty-five ambulant community dwelling adults with CP participated (mean 41 years) in this study. Fifteen participants (60%) reported gait decline (>age 18). The most frequent self-reported cause of decline was reduced balance (n = 12). Seventeen participants (68%) reported prior falls. Group differences were found between GMFCS levels and falls risk (falls risk for older people-community, p = 0.025), balance (Berg Balance Scale, p = 0.005) and mobility (6 min walk test p = 0.004; timed up and go, p = 0.011).

Conclusion: Adults with CP experience mobility decline in early to middle adulthood, with reduced balance performance and elevated falls risk evident. There is urgent need for further research into falls risk factors using prospective falls data.

• Adults
• cerebral palsy
• falls
• balance
• mobility

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Associate Professor Barry Rawicki for providing assistance in initial study design and ethics approval. They also thank Claire Regan who assisted in subject recruitment, subject testing and data entry.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

The Physiotherapy Research Foundation of the Australian Physiotherapy Association provided funding for this study (grant number T09-PC017).