title: Factors associated with motor speech control in children with spastic cerebral palsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Speech production is often impaired in children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study investigated the factors associated with motor speech control in children with spastic cerebral palsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three children with spastic CP who were able to speak were identified for this study. They were classified into two groups: group A (spastic diplegia or hemiplegia, n = 17) and group B (spastic quadriplegia, n = 16). Each child received various assessments, namely cognition, language, modified Verbal Motor Production Assessment for Children (VMPAC), speech intelligibility, CP subtype, and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group A showed better cognition and language function, higher modified VMPAC scores and better GMFCS levels than group B (p < 0.05). However, the two groups did not significantly differ in speech intelligibility. Linear regression indicated that all modified VMPAC scores were negatively related to CP subtype (adjusted r2 = 0.51~0.63, p < 0.001). The average modified VMPAC scores had a positive relationship with global language scores (adjusted r2 = 0.63, p < 0.001), and the modified VMPAC scores of the sequence subtests were positively related to the full intelligence quotients (adjusted r2 = 0.55, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study suggest that motor impairment severity, cognition and language functions are associated with the motor speech control among children with CP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Ling
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Keh-Chung
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chia-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chih-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wen-Yu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chia-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Chung-Yao
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ching-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000523:psychology; D013065:Speech Intelligibility