Hand function development of children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy: A scoping review

Issue title: Cerebral Palsy

Guest editors: Deborah Gaebler-Spira, Michael Green and Heakyung Kim

Article type: Review Article

Authors: McCall, James V.^{a; b} | Ludovice, Miranda C.^{a; b} | Elliott, Catherine^{c; d} | Kamper, Derek G.^{a; b; *}

Affiliations: [a] Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA | [b] University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA | [c] School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Australia | [d] Child and Adolescent Health Services, Perth Children’s Hospital, Perth, Australia

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Derek G. Kamper, Biomedical Engineering Department of UNC/NCSU, Engineering Building III 911 Oval Dr, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA. E-mail: dgkamper@ncsu.edu.

Abstract: PURPOSE: Hemiplegic cerebral palsy (hCP) typically impacts sensorimotor control of the hand, but comprehensive assessments of the hands of children with hCP are relatively rare. This scoping review summarizes the development of hand function for children with hCP. METHODS: This scoping review focused on the development of hand function in children with hCP. Electronic databases (PubMed, PEDro, Web of Science, CINAHL, and SpringerLink) were searched to identify studies assessing hand function in children with hCP. The search was performed using keywords (e.g., “hemiplegia”). An iterative approach verified by two authors was used to select the studies. Articles which reported quantitative data for children with hCP on any items of a specified set of hand evaluations were included. Measures were sorted into three categories: quantitative neuromechanics, clinical assessments, and clinical functional evaluations. RESULTS: Initial searches returned 1536 articles, 131 of which were included in the final review. Trends between assessment scores and age were examined for both hands. CONCLUSION: While several studies have evaluated hand function in children with hCP, the majority relied on clinical scales, assessments, or qualitative descriptions. Further assessments of kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activation patterns are needed to identify the underlying impairment mechanisms that should be targeted for treatment.

Keywords: Hand function, assessment methods, hemiplegia, cerebral palsy, upper limb

DOI: 10.3233/PRM-200714

Journal: Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 211-228, 2022