Association between motor and mental functioning in toddlers with cerebral palsy.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to examine the association between motor and mental functioning in toddlers with cerebral palsy (CP).


METHODS
The Mental and Motor Scales of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Second Edition (BSID-II) were administered.


METHODS
Seventy-eight toddlers with CP (mean age 2 years 7 months, SD 1 month; 43 boys, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-V).


RESULTS
Spearman correlation coefficient between mental and motor functioning was 0.67 (p < 0.01). Sixty-five percent (51/78) of the children performed at the same level in mental and motor functioning, of whom 36 performed significantly delayed and 15 within normal limits. Thirty-five percent of the children were more delayed in motor functioning than in mental functioning.


CONCLUSIONS
In toddlers with CP, an association was found between mental and motor functioning. When motor and mental functioning did not develop synchronously, it was always in favour of mental functioning. This study emphasizes the importance of examining both mental functioning and motor functioning separately of pre-school children with CP.
Enkelaar
Lotte
L
Rehabilitation Centre De Hoogstraat, Centre of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Ketelaar
Marjolijn
M
Gorter
Jan Willem
JW
D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D009048:Motor Skills; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016138:Walking