Relationship between Spasticity, Gross Motor Function, and Quality of Life in Children with Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Cerebral palsy (CP) is a complex disordercausing functional deficits that develop inchildren with
CPowing to the associated physical, cognitive, and social impairments eliminatetheir capacities to perform their
assignedsocial roles that leading to major decreaseathealth-related quality of life.
OBJECTIVE:to investigate the relationship between spasticity, gross motor function,and qualityof life in children
with spastic CP.
DESIGN: cross sectional study.
SETTING: out- patient clinic of faculty of physical therapy, Cairo University.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:Forty-fivechildren with spastic CPparticipated in this study. Spasticitywas
evaluated based on themodified Ashwarth scale. Gross motor functionwas evaluated by gross motor functional
measures,whilethequality of life was evaluated bythe pediatric quality of life inventory.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: spasticity, gross motor function and quality of life.
SAMPLE SIZE: 45 patients met inclusion criteria.
RESULTS:There was a strong negativecorrelation between spasticity andgross motor function.Additionally,there
was a strong negative correlation between spasticity and the quality of life but there was strong positive correlation
between gross motor function and the quality of life.
CONCLUSION:The findings highlight the importance of measuring spasticity and gross motor function in children
with CP. Therelation between spasticity and the level of motor function with quality of life could serveasan evidence
for the usefulness of therapeutic interventions.