Lower Extremity Evaluation in Children With Diparetic Cerebral Palsy According to ICF Perspective

Overview

Cerebral palsy (CP); is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder seen in childhood, characterized by permanent motor dysfunctions that develop due to brain damage occurring before birth, during birth, or in early childhood. The most common type is spastic type CP with a prevalence rate of 70-80%. Spastic type CP is divided into three groups as diparetic (38%), hemiparetic (39%) and quadriparetic (23%). In diparetic cerebral palsy (DCP); lower extremity involvement is more pronounced than upper extremity involvement. Typically; weakness in the trunk, postural and antigravity muscles, functional and/or structural asymmetry between both lower extremities are seen and this condition is closely related to impaired static and/or dynamic balance, decreased postural control, decreased functional performance, and low participation rate in activities. The ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health) was developed by the World Health Organization in 2001 and is a comprehensive model that evaluates health status not only through the presence of diseases and disorders but also through various dimensions such as functionality, environmental, and personal factors. The ICF model includes five main components to evaluate an individual's functionality and disability: body structure and functions, activity, participation, environmental and personal factors. In recent years, functional abilities, including social participation, have increasingly become the focus of research in children with CP.

It's an observational study. Purpose of the study: The increase in tone seen in the lower extremities in children with diparetic cerebral palsy (DCP) may adversely affect the activity and participation of children. Our study aim is to evaluate lower extremities in children with DCP according to ICF perspective. A total of 30 cases, 15 females (50%) and 15 males (50%), aged between 3 and 13 years (mean: 5.8), who were admitted to the Pediatric Rehabilitation Department of Acıbadem Altunizade Hospital with the diagnosis of DCP between 2019 and 2022, were included in this cross-sectional study. * What should the rehabilitation program for children with DCP include? * What should we consider when evaluating children with DCP? The lower extremity evaluations of these cases were made according to ICF. Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) was used for body structure and functions, Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ) was used for activity, and Pediatric Functional Independence Measure (WeeFIM) was used for participation