The Effect of Tactile Deficit on Motor Function in Unilateral Cerebral Palsy

Comparison of the Tactile Functions and the Effects of Possible Tactile Deficit on Motor Function in Unilateral Cerebral Palsy and the Typically Developed Children

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).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Ages between 5-15 years
• Being evaluated as Class I-II-III in Gross Motor Function Classification System
• Being evaluated as Class I-II-III in Manual Ability Classification System

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to understand and/or follow test instructions due to intellectual or behavioral difficulties
• History of upper extremity botulinum toxin type A injection in the last three months,
• Previous upper extremity orthopedic surgery
• History of major trauma, and visual impairment