Gross motor function, functional skills and caregiver assistance in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) with and without cerebral visual impairment (CVI)

Abstract Aim: To determine whether the level of gross motor function and functional skills in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and cerebral visual impairment (CVI) as well as caregiver assistance are lower in comparison with the corresponding group of children experiencing CP without CVI. Method: Data aggregated from 23 children experiencing CP with CVI were compared with data from children with CP without CVI matched for Gross Motor Function Classifi cation System, mental development and age at testing. Scores for Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88) and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory-NL (PEDI-NL) were employed to compare the level of gross motor function, functional skills and caregiver assistance between both groups. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was utilized with a signifi cance level of p 0.05. Results: Children with CP with CVI, mean ( SD) age 6.4 1.5, scored signifi cantly lower than those with CP without CVI, mean age 6.3 1.6, on all GMFM-88 dimensions and the total score ( p 0.001) and on the PEDI-NL in the sections of Functional Skills and Caregiver Assistance as well as in those of domains self-care ( p 0.001), mobility ( p 0.001) and social functioning ( p 0.001). Concerning the modifi cations scale, the scores for children with CP and CVI were signifi cantly lower regarding mobility (no modifi cation , p 0.05), social functioning (no modifi cation, p 0.05) and social functioning (child-oriented, p 0.05). Conclusion: CVI contributes to diminished gross motor function and functional skills in children experiencing CP with CVI compared with children with CP without CVI. Children with CP and CVI also require increased support at the level of caregiver assistance. Specifi c interventions need to be developed for children experiencing CP with CVI in order to improve gross motor function, functional skills and caregiver assistance.