Changes in Gross Motor Function and Health-Related Quality of Life in Adults With Cerebral Palsy: An 8-Year Follow-Up Study

Abstract

ObjectiveTo describe changes in gross motor function and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adults with cerebral palsy (CP). DesignAn 8-year follow-up survey. SettingParticipants who completed the baseline survey in 2003 were invited. ParticipantsThe sample of adults with CP (N=54; response rate=37%) included a “younger group” (group 1; n=31; age, 23–27y; 15 women) and an “older group” (group 2; n=23; age, 33–42y; 10 women). InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasuresThe Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Self-Rated Health (SRH), the Health Utility Index Mark III (HUI3), and the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL). ResultsEight years after the initial survey, 27% of the participants in the combined group had deteriorations on the GMFCS, 52% on the SRH, 44% on the HUI3, and 25% on the AQoL. Members of group 1 reported stable scores as they made the transition to adulthood, while many of the group 2 members experienced declines, with relative risk of 1.47 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16–2.24) on the GMFCS, 1.36 (95% CI, 0.83–2.23) on the SRH, 1.19 (95% CI, 0.66–2.15) on the HUI3, and 3.17 (95% CI, 1.12–9.00) on the AQoL. ConclusionsAlthough much attention has focused on the transitions of persons with CP during their late teens and early 20s, this research found that deteriorations in the GMFCS levels and the HRQOL were most evident in adults in their late 20s and 30s. More detailed longitudinal studies are required to evaluate the longer-term health outcomes among persons with CP into their 30s and beyond.