title: Sensorimotor recovery in children after traumatic brain injury: analyses of gait, gross motor, and fine motor skills.
abstract: The recovery of gait, gross motor proficiency, and hand function was examined in 23 children (13 males, 10 females; age 4 years 7 months to 15 years 10 months) with traumatic brain injury (TBI) over five months of in patient rehabilitation. We used gait analysis, the Gross Motor Function Measure, the Developmental Hand Function Test, and the Purdue Pegboard test. Brain injury had been severe (initial Glasgow Coma Scale GCS <8) in 17 children and moderate (GCS 8-10) in six children. Compared with healthy control children of the same age and sex, repeated gait analyses in ambulatory children with brain injury showed significant reductions of velocity, stride length and cadence, and impaired balance. Spatiotemporal gait variables were correlated with Gross Motor Function Measure scores. Hand function tests revealed deficits in fine motor skills, speed, and coordination. Degree of impairment increased with trauma severity. Despite significant improvements, differences in gait velocity, stride length, and hand function of children with brain injuries and controls were still present about 8 months after TBI. Hand motor skills improved less than gait. Young age at injury was not associated with better recovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Motor Control Laboratory, Kiel University, Olshausenstrasse 40, D 24098 Kiel, Germany. kuhtz@physiologie.uni-kiel.de
authors.forename: Johann P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kuhtz-Buschbeck
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hoppe
authors.forename: Mukaddes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gölge
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dreesmann
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Damm-Stünitz
authors.forename: Annegret
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ritz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005684:Gait; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009048:Motor Skills; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014888:Wechsler Scales