Children and adults with spastic cerebral palsy frequently have reduced ability to move joints individually. Motor control function originates in the brain. The pathways are present at birth but continue to develop after birth. Understanding how motor control develops in infancy and how it may be altered in infants with cerebral palsy is important to create interventions that allow the continued development of the brain pathways as early as possible.  

  

Core Questions: 

• A previously developed assessment method, BabyOSCAR,  has been used for infants 10-16 weeks with great reliability. The investigators aim to explore if it can be used from 0-16 weeks with the similar results.  

• Further, since 50% of children with cerebral palsy have intellectual disabilities, the researchers want to extend the use of the tool to children with cerebral palsy who are not able to follow verbal directions.   

Colleen Peyton, PT DPT PhD; Theresa Sukal-Moulton, PT DPT PhD; Barbara Sargent, PT, PhD 

Institution: Northwestern University