title: Head stability during whole body movements in spastic diplegia.
abstract: Head angular stability is essential for postural control in whole body movement. Using the opto-electronic ELITE system, we have studied head orientation during the movements of squatting from the standing position and straightening-up from the squatting position in 12 children with spastic diplegia and 12 age-matched controls. Although no instruction was given regarding the head, diplegic children consistently performed excessive neck flexion in the squatting movement and excessive hyperextension in the straightening-up movement, whereas normal children maintained the initial orientation throughout both movements. We discuss pathophysiological implications.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Movement Biomechanics, ISEPK, Université Libre de, Bruxelles, Belgium. gcheron@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bouillot
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bengoetxea
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Noël
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cheron
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019416:Head Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007969:Leukomalacia, Periventricular / Q000503:physiopathology; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular / Q000502:physiology