title: Analysis of the correlation between three methods used in the assessment of children with cerebral palsy.
abstract: The primary aim of this study was to assess the correlations between gait analysis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) scores in children with cerebral palsy (CP). These common diagnostic tools were used to evaluate 21 children affected by CP (mean age: 6 years, range: 5-13 years; 8 females and 13 males; 5 left hemiplegics, 4 right hemiplegics, 12 diplegics). In particular, in order to compare gait analysis data with other diagnostic evaluations, the Normalcy Index (NI) was used. The results showed a good correlation between the NI and the results of MRI, and between NI and the GMFM score (r=-0.76). Therefore, this investigation demonstrated that there exists a strong relationship between gait analysis and other clinical evaluation tools.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Polytechnic of Milan, Italy. romei@biomed.polimi.it
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romei
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fazzi
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maraucci
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Uggetti
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crivellini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007969:Leukomalacia, Periventricular / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric