Manual skill, hand skill asymmetry, and neuropsychological test performance in schoolchildren with spastic cerebral palsy

• Published in: Laterality (Hove) Vol. 10; no. 2; pp. 161 - 182
• Main Authors: Filho, Gilberto Nunes, Souza, Lígia, Nunes, Luiz Guilherme, Braga, Lucia Willadino, Dellatolas, Georges
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor and Francis Ltd 01.03.2005
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living - classification; Asymmetries; Brazil; Cerebral palsy; Cerebral Palsy - psychology; Child; Dominance, Cerebral; Female; Functional Laterality; Hand advantage; Hemiplegia - psychology; Humans; Male; Manual dexterity; Motor Skills; Neuropsychological tests; Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data; Psychometrics; Psychomotor Performance; Reference Values; Spasticity; Statistics as Topic; Young children; Brazil
• ISSN: 1357-650X; 1464-0678
• DOI: 10.1080/13576500442000012

Bilateral hand skill assessment with a computerised version of the Peg Moving Task, and neuropsychological testing, were performed in 30 children aged 7 to 8 years with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and without mental retardation, diplegia (n = 10), right hemiplegia (n = 10), or left hemiplegia (n = 10), and in 30 controls. Compared to controls: (i) 30% of the hemiplegic children showed impairment of the unaffected hand and 70% of the diplegic children showed impairment in both hands; (ii) children with CP were impaired only in oral repetition and in visual-motor tasks. Results of neuropsychological testing were not significantly different between the three groups of children with CP. Right minus left asymmetry in hand skill was not related to neuropsychological testing; however, degree of impairment of the right hand was associated with phonological and metaphonological skills, and of the left hand with visuospatial and counting performance. Hand skill was related to the ability to perform many daily living manual activities. It is concluded that impairment of hand function, rather than the side of the more affected hand, is related to neuropsychological deficits in children with cerebral palsy.