TITLE:
Functional Classification of Tunisian Children with Cerebral Palsy Based on Mobility and Manual Ability
AUTHORS:
Soumaya Boudokhane, Hana Mastour, Amine Kalai, Anis Jellad, Iheb Bel Haj Youssef, Houda Migaou, Zohra Ben Salah Frih
KEYWORDS:
Cerebral Palsy, Children, Manual Ability Classification System, ICF, Tunisia
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.10 No.11,
November
27,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common cause of impairment in children, resulting in unique and individual needs. Services for CP often focus on treating impairments rather than improving activities. To provide a com-prehensive description of CP children’s skills, four functional scales were selected: Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), Communication Function Classification System (CFCS), Functional Mobility Scale (FMS), and Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM). Objective: Our study aims to describe functional profiles of a sample of children with CP in Tunisia by using familiar international functional measures. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 80 children with CP (43 boys and 37 girls with mean age of 6.55 ± 3.49 years) in Tunisia using a clinical evalua-tion questionnaire and functional scales: MACS, CFCS, FMS, and WeeFIM. Results: Spastic (75%) was the most common type, followed by dyskinetic (13.8%) and ataxic (11.2%). We found a significant association between CP subtypes, and FMS 500 and CFCS. Most children required assistance in WeeFIM domains: selfcare, mobility, and cognition. Unilateral group mem-bers performed higher in both mobility and manual ability scores. The spas-tic bilateral group had more difficulties with mobility and hand function abilities. Conclusion: Children with CP present heterogenous functional profiles. Therefore, healthcare givers are encouraged to use functional classi-fications in addition to traditional subtypes, to provide a better assessment, an easier interdisciplinary communication, and a more comprehensive care plan for these children.