The Effect of Tactile Deficit on Motor Function in Unilateral Cerebral Palsy
Condition: Cerebral Palsy; Rehabilitation; Tactile Perception
MeSH terms: Cerebral Palsy
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Cerebral palsy(CP) is the most common cause of disability in childhood. The motor spectrum of
      disorders is characterized by abnormal muscle tone, posture, and movement. The motor
      disorders of CP are often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, perception, cognition and
      behavior. Besides classical appearance of symptomatology, tactile impairment takes an
      important place to be evaluated. Assessment of the integrity of tactile function composes of
      two main steps: tactile registration and tactile perception. Our main goal is the define the
      effect of tactile impairment on hand motor function with the usage of identical assessment
      tools in patients with unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP) and typically developed children
      (TDC).
    


Intervention name(s): Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test; Box and Block Test; 9-Hole Peg Test; Duruöz Hand Index (DHI); Jamar hand dynamometer; Hydraulic pinch gauge
Intervention type(s): Diagnostic Test; Diagnostic Test; Diagnostic Test; Diagnostic Test; Diagnostic Test; Diagnostic Test
Intervention description(s): Tactile function was evaluated mainly as tactile registration by using 20-item Semmes-Weinstein monofilament (SWM) kit. The monofilament was applied three times with a pseudorandom order to distal pad of the thumb, index, 4th and 5th digits (C6, C7 and C8 dermatomes). The lowest value of monofilament was recorded which the child was able to correctly identify at least one touch out of three; Box and Block Test (BBT) was used for dexterity assessment. The BBT measures unilateral gross manual dexterity. The child was asked to move, one by one, the maximum number of blocks from one compartment of a box to another of equal size within 60 seconds; 9-Hole Peg Test (9-HPT) is used to measure finger dexterity. Firstly, the child takes the pegs from a container, one by one, and place them in the holes on the board; then participant removes the pegs from the holes and replaces them back into the container. The total time taken to complete the test is recorded in seconds.; Duruöz Hand Index (DHI) is an 18-item self-report questionnaire regarding ability to carry out manual tasks. Individual items are scored on a 6-point Likert scale where 0=without difficulty and 5=impossible. The total score ranges from 0-90 with higher scores indicating poorer hand function.; Hand grip strength was measured by using Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer. Measurement was done with the participant in sitting position and the elbow at 90 degrees of flexion. The force has most commonly been measured in kilograms according to the amount of static force that the hand can squeeze around the dynamometer.; Hydraulic pinch gauge is used for evaluation of finger grip strength. The evaluation method was the same as Jamar hand dynamometer.
Observational model: Case-Control
Time perspective: Prospective
Sampling method: Probability Sample
Study population: 
        The study population consists of 2 groups. In the group of typically developed children,
        there are healthy children who do not have a disease that will affect normal development.
        The other group includes children diagnosed with unilateral cerebral palsy.