Motor performance of children with cerebral palsy in anterior reach.

Abstract

Children with cerebral palsy perform small displacements during the anterior reach movement from standing position without loss of balance. There are two possible reasons for their decreased performance: the difficulty to stabilize their lower limbs during forward body inclination to reach greater distances or to control the movement of forward reaching. The objective of this study is to identify and compare the motor performance of children with CP and typically developing children, during anterior reach. This is a cross-sectional study, composed of 28 children, 14 with spastic cerebral palsy and 14 typical children, who were all evaluated by the Pediatric Reach Test and three-dimensional motion analysis. The decreased performance was shown by the lower movement control by children with cerebral palsy. The bilateral and unilateral cerebral palsy children showed lower range of motion of shoulder and trunk than typical children. Children with cerebral palsy show lower anterior displacement and movement control and difficulty bending the trunk and flexing shoulders while reaching forward, suggesting poor postural balance.