The Adult with Cerebral Palsy: A Provider-Consumer Perspective

Cross-Sectional Study of Bowel Symptoms in Adults With Cerebral Palsy: Prevalence and Impact on Quality of Life

OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence and type of bowel symptoms, and their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adults with cerebral palsy (CP).

DESIGN

Prospective cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Urban, outpatient rehabilitation facility.

PARTICIPANTS

Adults with CP (N=91; 46 men, 45 women; mean age, 36y; age range, 18-79y).

INTERVENTION

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Participants were interviewed using standardized instruments to assess the frequency and types of bowel dysfunction. The International Consultation of Incontinence Questionnaire-Bowel was used to assess bowel incontinence and impact on quality of life, and constipation presence was determined using the Rome III criteria for constipation. Constipation symptoms were rated by the Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptom Scale. Participants' mobility status was classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Interactions between mobility measures, anthropometric measures, and bowel symptoms were assessed.

RESULTS

Of the 91 participants enrolled, 62.6% were GMFCS IV or V. Twenty-eight participants (30.8%) reported severe difficulty with control of liquid stool (rating never or rarely); these participants were more likely to have a greater GMFCS level (P=.0004). Twenty-six participants (28.6%) reported that bowel function caused embarrassment some/most/all of the time. Fifty-nine participants (64.8%) met criteria for chronic constipation, which did not differ by GMFCS levels. Overall, 57.1% of participants reported that bowel symptoms interfered with life; 40.7% reported moderate to severe interference.

CONCLUSIONS

Bowel symptoms were frequent, a source of embarrassment, and impacted HRQOL in these adults with CP. Addressing bowel-related symptoms has the potential to improve HRQOL in these adults.

An examination of motor unit number index in adults with cerebral palsy

Spinal motor neuron loss may be a factor contributing to weakness in central disorders. The aim of this study was to assess whether motor unit numbers are reduced in the hand musculature of adults with cerebral palsy (CP) using the motor unit number index (MUNIX) technique. In this prospective, case-control study, 10 adults with CP were matched with healthy controls. MUNIX was computed using area and power of voluntary surface hypothenar electromyographic (EMG) signals and the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) recorded with ulnar nerve stimulation. The motor unit size index (MUSIX) was calculated based on maximum CMAP amplitude and MUNIX value. Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) and Manual Abilities Classification Scale (MACS) levels were rated for CP subjects. MUNIX was significantly lower for CP participants (Mean 167.8 vs. 214.4, p=.022). MUNIX values did not correlate with GMFCS or MACS. MUSIX values were higher, though not significantly, for CP subjects (p=.11). MUSIX increased with increasing MACS levels (r(2)=.4017, p=.049). Thus, motor unit numbers in ulnar hand muscles may be decreased with CP. MUSIX values are associated with greater hand impairment. Therefore, peripheral motor unit loss as a component of the weakness found with CP deserves further evaluation.

Postural responses of adults with cerebral palsy to combined base of support and visual field rotation

We employed a virtual environment to examine the postural behaviors of adults with cerebral palsy (CP). Four adults with CP (22-32 years) and nine healthy adults (21-27 years) were tested with a Rod and Frame protocol. They then stood quietly on a platform within a three-wall virtual environment. The platform was either kept stationary or tilted 3(°) into dorsiflexion in the dark or with pitch up and down visual field rotations at 30(°)/s and 45(°)/s. While the visual field rotated, the platform was held tilted for 30 s and then slowly returned to a neutral position over 30 s. Center of pressure (CoP) was recorded and center of mass (CoM) as well as trunk and ankle angles were calculated. Electromyography (EMG) responses of the ankle and the hip muscles were recorded and analyzed using wavelets. Larger angular deviations from vertical and horizontal in the Rod and Frame test indicated that adults with CP were more visually dependent than healthy adults. Adults with CP had difficulty maintaining balance when standing on a stationary platform during pitch upward rotation of the visual scene. When the platform was tilted during visual field rotations, adults with CP took longer to stabilize their posture and had larger CoM oscillations than when in the dark. The inability to compensate for busy visual environments could impede maintenance of functional locomotion in adults with CP. Employing a visual field stimulus for assessment and training of postural behaviors would be more meaningful than testing in the dark.