Katrijn Klingels

Upper limb motor and sensory impairments in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. Can they be measured reliably

Purpose. To establish interrater and test–retest reliability of a clinical assessment of motor and sensory upper limb impairments in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy aged 5–15 years. Method. The assessments included passive range of motion (PROM), Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), manual muscle testing (MMT), grip strength, the House thumb and Zancolli classification and sensory function. Interrater reliability was investigated in 30 children, test–retest reliability in 23 children. Results. For PROM, interrater reliability varied from moderate to moderately high (correlation coefficients 0.48–0.73) and test–retest reliability was very high (>0.81). For the MAS and MMT, total score and subscores for shoulder, elbow, and wrist showed a moderately high to very high interrater reliability (0.60–0.91) and coefficients of >0.78 for test–retest reliability. The reliability for the individual muscles varied from moderate to high. The Jamar dynamometer was found to be highly reliable. The House thumb classification showed a substantial reliability and the Zancolli classification an almost perfect reliability. All sensory modalities had a good agreement. Conclusions. For all motor and sensory assessments, interrater and test–retest reliability was moderate to very high. Test–retest reliability was clearly higher than interrater reliability. To improve interrater reliability, it was recommended to strictly standardize the test procedure, refine the scoring criteria and provide intensive rater trainings.

Development of the Performance of the Upper Limb module for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

An international Clinical Outcomes Group consisting of clinicians, scientists, patient advocacy groups, and industries identified a need for a scale to measure motor performance of the upper limb. We report the steps leading to the development of the Performance of the Upper Limb (PUL), a tool specifically designed for assessing upper limb function in ambulant and non‐ambulant patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Review of quantitative measurements of upper limb movements in hemiplegic cerebral palsy

This review provides an overview of results found in literature on objective measurements of upper limb movements in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP). Seventeen articles were selected following a systematic search. Analysed tasks varied from simple reaching and gross motor functions to complex, fine motor tasks. Spatiotemporal characteristics have been extensively studied and longer movement durations, slower movement speed and reduced trajectory straightness at the affected upper limb, compared to the non-affected side or healthy children, were most frequently reported. Joint kinematics has been far less studied. The limited data confirm the clinical impression of children with HCP using less elbow extension and supination to reach for an object, which is compensated by increased trunk flexion. Increased trunk involvement was also reported during gross motor functions. Although three-dimensional (3D) movement analysis seems promising to provide additional insights in the pathological upper limb movements observed in HCP, future standardisation of the entire protocol is crucial. No consensus exists on the procedures for data collection, processing, analysing and reporting of results, or what upper limb tasks should be assessed. The International Society of Biomechanics recently proposed recommendations on the definition of upper limb joint coordinate systems and rotation sequences. These guidelines were not yet applied in these studies. Although the diverse methodological approaches used in the studies complicate the comparison of published results, some general conclusions could be drawn. A further standardisation of the protocol for 3D upper limb movement analysis will provide the foundation for comparable and repeatable results and eventually facilitate the selection and planning of treatment interventions.

Comparison of the Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function and the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test in hemiplegic CP

This study investigated interrater reliability and measurement error of the Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function (Melbourne Assessment) and the Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (QUEST), and assessed the relationship between both scales in 21 children (15 females, six males; mean age 6y 4mo [SD 1y 3mo], range 5–8y) with hemiplegic CP. Two raters scored the videotapes of the assessments independently in a randomized order. According to the House Classification, three participants were classified as level 1, one participant as level 3, eight as level 4, three as level 5, one participant as level 6, and five as level 7. The Melbourne Assessment and the QUEST showed high interrater reliability (intraclass correlation 0.97 for Melbourne Assessment; 0.96 for QUEST total score; 0.96 for QUEST hemiplegic side). The standard error of measurement and the smallest detectable difference was 3.2% and 8.9% for the Melbourne Assessment and 5.0% and 13.8% for the QUEST score on the hemiplegic side. Correlation analysis indicated that different dimensions of upper limb function are addressed in both scales.

A systematic review of arm activity measures for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy

Objective: To identify psychometrically sound and clinically feasible assessments of arm activities in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy for implementation in research and clinical practice. Data sources: PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and reference lists of relevant articles were searched. Review methods: A systematic search was performed based on the following inclusion criteria: (1) evaluative tools at the activity level according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; (2) previously used in studies including children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy aged 2-18 years; (3) at least one aspect of reliability and validity in children with cerebral palsy should be established. Descriptive information, psychometric properties and clinical utility were reviewed. Results: Eighteen assessments were identified of which 11 met the inclusion criteria: eight functional tests and three questionnaires. Five functional tests were condition-specific, three were generic. All functional tests measure different aspects of activity, including unimanual capacity and performance during bimanual tasks. The questionnaires obtain information about the child’s abilities at home or school. The reliability and validity have been established, though further use in clinical trials is necessary to determine the responsiveness. Conclusions: To obtain a complete view of what the child can do and what the child actually does, we advise a capacity-based test (Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function), a performance-based test (Assisting Hand Assessment) and a questionnaire (Abilhand-Kids). This will allow outcome differentiation and treatment guidance for the arm in children with cerebral palsy.

Guidelines for future research in constraint-induced movement therapy for children with unilateral cerebral palsy: an expert consensus.

The aim of this study was to provide an overview of what is known about constraint‐induced movement therapy (CIMT) in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP), to identify current knowledge gaps, and to provide suggestions for future research.

Upper limb impairments and their impact on activity measures in children with unilateral cerebral palsy

BACKGROUND Insights in upper limb impairments and their relationship with activity measures in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP) are important to optimize treatment interventions. AIMS (1) To investigate upper limb impairments and activity limitations in children with unilateral CP; (2) to compare these according to the Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), timing of lesion (congenital/acquired) and age; (3) to determine the impact of impairments on activity measures. METHODS Eighty-one children with unilateral CP aged 5-15 years (mean 9 years 11 months; congenital N=69, acquired N=12) were recruited. Body function measurements included passive range of motion (PROM), muscle tone, strength and sensibility. At activity level, the Melbourne Assessment, Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) and Abilhand-Kids were assessed. RESULTS Most PROM limitations were found for elbow extension and supination. Increased tone and weakness were most prominent in distal muscles. Stereognosis and two-point discrimination were mostly affected. Children with a lower MACS level or acquired lesion had significantly more impairments and activity limitations. In children with congenital lesions, best predictors for unimanual capacity (Melbourne Assessment) were wrist strength, stereognosis and proprioception, and for bimanual performance (AHA) wrist strength and grip strength, explaining 76% of the variance. For the Abilhand-Kids, wrist strength and stereognosis predicted 46% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS Classification according to MACS and timing of lesion is important to differentiate within the wide range of impairments and activity limitations. In children with congenital lesions, unimanual capacity and bimanual performance are highly determined by distal strength, supporting the additional use of impairment-based interventions.

Three-Dimensional Upper Limb Movement Characteristics in Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy and Typically Developing Children.

The aim of this study was to measure which three-dimensional spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters differentiate upper limb movement characteristics in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP) from those in typically developing children (TDC), during various clinically relevant tasks. We used a standardized protocol containing three reach tasks (forwards, upwards, and sideways), two reach-to-grasp tasks (with objects requiring different hand orientations), and three gross motor tasks. Spatiotemporal (movement duration, trajectory straightness, maximum velocity, and timing of maximum velocity), as well as kinematic parameters (discrete angles and waveforms of the trunk, scapula, shoulder, elbow and wrist), were compared between 20 children with HCP (age 10.9 ± 2.9 years) and 20 individually age-matched TDC (age 10.9 ± 3.0 years). Kinematic calculations followed the recommendations from the International Society of Biomechanics. Results showed that children with HCP had longer movement durations, less straight hand trajectories, and lower maximum velocities compared to the TDC. Timing of maximum velocity did not differ between both groups. The movement pathology in children with HCP was highlighted by increased trunk movements and reduced shoulder elevation during reaching and reach-to-grasp. We also measured an increased anterior tilting and protraction of the scapula in children with HCP, although differences were not significant for all tasks. Finally, compared to the TDC, children with HCP used less elbow extension and supination and more wrist flexion to execute all tasks. This study reported distinct 3D upper limb movement characteristics in children with HCP and age-matched TDC, establishing the discriminative ability of the measurement procedure. From a clinical perspective, combining spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters may facilitate the identification of the pathological movement patterns seen in children with HCP and thereby add to a well-targeted upper limb treatment planning.

Relation between neuroradiological findings and upper limb function in hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

The relation between neuroradiological findings and upper limb function was examined in 53 children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP). CT and MRI images of the children were classified into four groups (malformations, periventricular lesions, congenital cortical-subcortical lesions and postnatally acquired lesions). Additionally, each single affected neuroanatomical structure was noted. Clinical assessments included measures of activity (Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function and House Classification) and body functions (motor and sensory impairments). Comparative statistics and correlation analysis were used. Three children had a malformation, 28 a periventricular lesion, 14 a cortical-subcortical lesion and eight a postnatally acquired lesion. Children with periventricular lesions obtained the best motor functioning. Within this group, children with pure periventricular lesions performed significantly better compared to mixed lesions. The differences between congenital cortical-subcortical lesions and acquired lesions were not significant. Results further showed that middle cerebral artery infarctions and basal ganglia/thalamic lesions were significantly correlated to a worse performance. The type of lesion determined by the timing of the brain insult, and the location of the lesion distinguish children with hemiplegic CP regarding upper limb function. These insights are valuable for prognosis and may contribute to a better delineation of therapeutic interventions.

Clinical characteristics of impaired trunk control in children with spastic cerebral palsy.

This study aimed to identify clinical characteristics of impaired trunk control in hundred children with spastic CP (mean age 11.4 ± 2.1 years, range 8-15 years). Assessment of trunk control was performed with the Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS). Trunk control was clearly impaired, indicated by a median total TCMS score of 38.5 out of 58 (66%). Median subscale scores were 18 out of 20 (90%) for the subscale static sitting balance, 16 out of 28 (57%) for the subscale selective movement control and 6 out of 10 (60%) for the subscale dynamic reaching. Total TCMS and subscale scores differed significantly between topographies and severity of motor impairment according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Children with hemiplegia obtained the highest scores, followed by children with diplegia and children with quadriplegia obtained the lowest scores. TCMS scores significantly decreased with increasing GMFCS level. In conclusion, trunk control is impaired in children with CP to a various extent, depending on the topography and severity of the motor impairment. The findings of this study also provide specific clues for treatment interventions targeting trunk control to improve their functional abilities.