Influence of somatosensory information on sitting postural control in children with cerebral palsy

• Grant number: 12/10052-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2012
• End date: July 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Nelci Adriana Cicuto Ferreira Rocha
• Grantee: Fernanda Moreira de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) have developmental disorders of movement and difficulty of capturing the sensory information, causing a difficulty in the adaptedness to environmental stimuli and consequently different levels of restrictions on daily activities. As a way to test this level of adaptability in these children, this study aims to analyze and compare the differences between the influence of somatosensory information between CP and typical children, when they are in sitting posture. For that 10 typical children and 10 children with CP (GMFCS level III and IV) will participated in this study. Children will be assessed in the seated position on a force platform, without the support of the feet, with open eyes fixed on a toy at eye level. To analyze the influence of somatosensory information will be used a foam surface - 30 kg/m3 (50cmx50cm). Therefore we will collect three trials of 20 seconds each condition (stable and unstable), with a rest period of 120 seconds between them. The values obtained by kinetic analysis are range sway, oscillation, displacement and velocity of center of pressure. The descriptive results are obtained by calculating the mean and standard deviation, and will be evaluated by testing appropriate to the normality of their distribution. There is assumed a significance level of 5% (p d 0.05). It is expected that children with CP have increased oscillation, displacement and COP sway when they are on a stable surface, with no significant differences between them. In the some way on unstable surface, children with CP will present a greater challenge to control the body position in space, is shown by the oscillation in the COP trajectory and increase displacement and area when compared to typical children. (AU)