Clinical Characteristics Associated with Reduced Selective Voluntary Motor Control in the Upper Extremity of Individuals with Spastic Cerebral Palsy

ABSTRACT

Background

Selective voluntary motor control (SVMC) in the upper extremity is often impaired in individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) and can be assessed quantitatively and qualitatively using the Test of Arm Selective Control (TASC).

Methods

Fifty-six individuals with spastic CP (5–18 years old) were included. Descriptors associated with administration of the TASC were analyzed according to the type of CP and arm joint using Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests. ABILHAND-Kids scores were compared between participants with and without mirror movements using a t-test.

Results

All groups of children with spastic CP had incidence of TASC movement descriptors. There was a main effect of topography of CP on extra movements, decreased active range of motion, tightness, spasticity, and mirroring, and an additional main effect of joint on mirroring. Participants with mirroring had lower ABILHAND-Kids scores than those without mirroring.

Conclusions

Systematically observing arm movements using the TASC revealed differences across participants.

KEYWORDS:

• Selective voluntary motor control
• test of arm Selective Control
• TASC
• cerebral palsy
• upper extremity
• arm
• motor control
• mirror movements
• synergy

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge all participants and their families, grant support from National Institutes of Health, U13NS061384, Dr. Terence Sanger for leading the NIH Taskforce on Childhood Movement Disorders and supporting this project, and DPT students involved in initial data collection.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [U13NS061384].