Aberrant sensorimotor cortical oscillations are related to the abnormal hand motor actions of children with cerebral palsy

Background. The neuroimaging literature on cerebral palsy (CP) has predominantly focused on identifying the structural aberrations (eg, fiber track integrity), with very few studies examining neural activity within the key networks that serve the production of hand movements. Objective. We aimed to start to fill this knowledge gap by using magnetoencephalographic brain imaging to quantify the temporal dynamics of the sensorimotor oscillations during a hand motor action. Methods: Children with CP (n = 12; MACS [Manual Abilities Classification System] levels I-III) and typically developing (TD) children (n = 26) performed an arrow-based version of the Eriksen flanker task where a button press was performed with either the second or third digit of the right hand depending on the arrow’s direction. Results: Overall, the children with CP were less accurate and had slower reaction times compared with the TD children. These behavioral differences were closely linked with aberrant sensorimotor cortical oscillations seen in the children with CP. Compared with the TD children, the children with CP had a weaker gamma (68-82 Hz) response during motor execution and a weaker post-movement beta rebound (PMBR; 14-26 Hz) response on movement termination. Moreover, we observed a significant correlation between the amplitude of the gamma and PMBR with reaction time, with weaker gamma and PMBR responses being linked with slower reaction times. Conclusions: Overall, these results suggest that aberrations in motor-related gamma and beta cortical oscillations are associated with the impaired hand motor actions seen in children with CP.

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Prevalence of Speech Problems and the Use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Registry-Based Study in Norway

Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication ◽

10.1044/aac19.1.12 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 12-20 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Guro Andersen ◽

Tone R. Mjøen ◽

Torstein Vik

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Palsy ◽

Motor Function ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Gross Motor ◽

Gross Motor Function ◽

Children With Cerebral Palsy ◽

Communicative Abilities ◽

Normal Speech

Abstract This study describes the prevalence of speech problems and the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) in Norway. Information on the communicative abilities of 564 children with CP born 1996–2003, recorded in the Norwegian CP Registry, was collected. A total of 270 children (48%) had normal speech, 90 (16%) had slightly indistinct speech, 52 (9%) had indistinct speech, 35 (6%) had very indistinct speech, 110 children (19%) had no speech, and 7 (1%) were unknown. Speech problems were most common in children with dyskinetic CP (92 %), in children with the most severe gross motor function impairments and among children being totally dependent on assistance in feeding or tube-fed children. A higher proportion of children born at term had speech problems when compared with children born before 32 weeks of gestational age 32 (p > 0.001). Among the 197 children with speech problems only, 106 (54%) used AAC in some form. Approximately 20% of children had no verbal speech, whereas ~15% had significant speech problems. Among children with either significant speech problems or no speech, only 54% used AAC in any form.

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