Abstract
Recent neuroimaging studies allowed us to explore abnormal brain structures and interhemispheric connectivity in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Behavioral researchers have long reported that children with CP exhibit suboptimal performance in different cognitive domains (e.g., receptive and expressive language skills, reading, mental imagery, spatial processing, subitizing, math, and executive functions). However, there has been very limited cross-domain research involving these two areas of scientific inquiry. To stimulate such research, this perspective paper proposes some possible neurological mechanisms involved in the cognitive delays and impairments in children with CP. Additionally, the paper examines the ways motor and sensorimotor experience during the development of these neural substrates could enable more optimal development for children with CP. Understanding these developmental mechanisms could guide more effective interventions to promote the development of both sensorimotor and cognitive skills in children with CP.
Highlights
The purpose of this perspective paper is to outline the neural mechanisms involved in the ways atypical hemispheric asymmetry, as a result of early brain insult, might affect the development of motor, sensorimotor, and cognitive skills
This paper discusses the concept of typical hemispheric asymmetry, patterns of abnormal brain structure, and interhemispheric connectivity in children with Cerebral palsy (CP), sensorimotor and cognitive impairments related to CP, the role of embodiment in the development of sensorimotor and cognitive skills, and possible interventions to improve developmental outcomes in children with CP
Modern neurodevelopmental research demonstrates that brain restructuring, as a result of brain damage, leads to atypical hemispheric specialization, as manifested in the predominance of ipsilateral corticospinal connections, reduced transcallosal transfer of information, diminished hemispheric specialization, and the allocation of multiple functions to the same hemisphere
Summary
Hemispheric asymmetry reflects a fundamental principle of neuronal organization and plays a critical role in children’s motor, sensorimotor, and cognitive development [1,2,3]. Because cognitive development is embodied in motor and sensorimotor experiences [13,14,15,16,17,18], children with CP may exhibit delays and impairments in motor and sensorimotor skills, and in cognitive abilities [2,5,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27] The purpose of this perspective paper is to outline the neural mechanisms involved in the ways atypical hemispheric asymmetry, as a result of early brain insult, might affect the development of motor, sensorimotor, and cognitive skills.
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