Impact of sensorial information in the performance of the sit-to-stand movement in children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

Postural control regulation involves the integration of multiples sources of sensorial inputs. Children with cerebral palsy (CP) exhibit postural control deficits due to sensoriomotor impairments. Nevertheless, a few studies have assessed the impact of sensorial manipulation (visual and tactile) on the postural control of children with cerebral palsy, especially during the performance of functional activities such as sit-to-stand movement (STS). Thus the present study aims to assess the impact of the availability of vision and manual touch on postural control of children with CP during the performance of the STS movement. Fifty children between 5 and 12 years will be evaluated, 30 with typical motor development and 20 with CP, GMFCS I and II. The children will perform the STS movement in four different conditions: with vision and support of upper limbs, with vision and without support, without vision and with support and finally, without vision and without support of upper limbs. The assessment of postural control during the STS performance will be conducted by means of kinetic and electromyographyc analyses. A load cell positioned beneath the upper limb support will record the amount of load discharged on the support during the STS performance. The comparisons between the groups and the conditions will be performed by means of test suitable for the normality of distribution. The significance level adopted will be of 5%. We believe that the availability of vision and support will be provide and additional reference to the postural control system, allowing the postural sway similar to the typical children