Developmental age and motor function levels in children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

We determined the developmental level of 107 children (mean age, 66.41 ± 32.92 mo) with cerebral palsy in an inpatient rehabilitation program and assessed both the difference between calendar age and developmental age and the effect of developmental level on motor function improvement. The Denver II test was used to reveal the difference between calendar age and developmental age, and we determined whether there was a statistically significant difference between the admission and discharge motor function measurements of the subjects. The effect of the Denver II developmental levels of language, fine-motor, personal-social, and gross-motor skillson motor function was investigated. Wefound a statisticallysignificant difference between thedevelopmental levelsandcalendar agesof thestudy subjects. Denver II testresultsrevealed astatisticallysignificant difference between the personal-social, gross-motor, and fine-motor levels of the subjects. We found no difference only between personal- social and language levels. Gross-motor development was the most delayed value by calendar age. Regardless of developmental level, there was a statistically significant difference between motor activity levels at admission and discharge as revealed by the Gross-motor Functional Classification System and the Gross-motor Function Measure. The developmental ages of the subjects were much lower than their calendar ages. We concluded that the Denver II language and fine-motor developmental level did not have an effect on functional gains but that the subjects with good personal-social and gross-motor function developmental levels exhibited relatively better motor function gains at the time of discharge.