OBJECTIVETo examine the reliability and validity of the 66-item version on the gross motor function measure (GMFM-66) to assess the gross motor functions of children below 3 years oldwith cerebral palsy.

METHODS298 valid samples were obtained from 171 children with cerebral palsy (male 126, female 45 with mean age 19 months, age range 3-36 months) measured with GMFM-88. Then a 73-item version of GMFM (GMFM-73) special for these children was obtained by Rasch analysis. Both GMFM-66 and GMFM-73 scores of to each sample were obtained. The reliability and validity of GMFM-66 were evaluated through analyzing the correlation between the scores and between the changed scores of these two GMFM versions. The relative precision of GMFM-73 versus GMFM-66 was also analyzed.

RESULTSSignificant correlations were found between the scores and between the changed scores of these two versions of GMFM. A 14% less gain in relative precision was achieved when using GMFM-73 versus GMFM-66.

CONCLUSIONResults indicated that the GMFM-66 had good reliability and validity in assessing the gross motor functions of children below 3 years old with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral Palsy ; physiopathology ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Motor Skills ; classification ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to describe hand function in relation with gross motor function and subtype of spastic cerebral palsy and to investigate the relationships among gross motor function, bimanual performance, unimanual capacity and upper limb functional measures in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected upper extremity data of 140 children with spastic CP. The Gross Motor Functional Classification System (GMFCS) was used to assess gross motor function, Manual Ability Classification System (MACS) for bimanual performance, and Modified House Functional Classification (MHC) for the best capacity of each hand. Upper limb functions were evaluated by using the Upper Limb Physician's Rating Scale and Upper Extremity Rating Scale. RESULTS: There was a good correlation between GMFCS and MACS in children with bilateral CP, but the correlation was not strong in children with unilateral CP. No significant difference between GMFCS and MACS was found in children with bilateral CP, but children with unilateral CP scored higher on GMFCS than on MACS. A strong correlation was observed between MACS and MHC in children with bilateral CP, but not in children with unilateral CP. The upper limb functional measures in each hand were highly related with MACS and MHC in bilateral CP, but not in unilateral CP. CONCLUSION: Gross motor function, bimanual performance and the best capacity of each hand are closely related with each other in children with bilateral CP, but not in children with unilateral CP.
Cerebral Palsy/classification/*physiopathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Disability Evaluation ; Hand/*physiopathology ; Humans ; *Motor Skills ; Upper Extremity/physiopathology