Upper limb cerebellar motor function in children with spina bifida.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate upper limb cerebellar motor function in children with spina bifida myelomeningocele (SBM) and in typically developing controls.


METHODS
Participants with SBM, who had either upper level spinal lesions (n = 23) or lower level spinal lesions (n = 65), and controls (n = 37) completed four upper limb motor function tasks (posture, rebound, limb dysmetria, and diadochokinesis) under four different physical and cognitive challenge conditions. Functional independence was assessed by parental questionnaire.


RESULTS
Fewer SBM participants were able to complete the posture task, and they were less likely than controls to obtain a perfect rebound score. Participants with SBM showed impaired performance in either time, accuracy, or both, on the limb dysmetria and diadochokinesis tasks but responded like controls to physical and cognitive challenges.


CONCLUSIONS
Because upper limb motor performance predicted aspects of functional independence, we conclude that upper limb impairments in children with SBM are significant and have direct implications for the level of independent functioning in children with SBM.
Jewell
Derryn
D
Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Fletcher
Jack M
JM
Mahy
Caitlin E V
CE
Hetherington
Ross
R
MacGregor
Daune
D
Drake
James M
JM
Salman
Michael S
MS
Dennis
Maureen
M
D000293:Adolescent; D001132:Arm; D002648:Child; D020820:Dyskinesias / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010290:Parents; D011187:Posture; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis