Abstract
Objective
To introduce the Windmill-task, a new objective assessment tool to quantify the presence
of mirror movements (MMs) in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (UCP), which
are typically assessed with the observation-based Woods and Teuber scale (W&T).
Design
Prospective, observational, cohort pilot study.
Setting
Children’s hospital.
Participants
Prospective cohort of children (N=23) with UCP (age range, 6–15y, mean age, 10.5±2.7y).
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
The concurrent validity of the Windmill-task is assessed, and the sensitivity and
specificity for MM detection are compared between both assessments. To assess the
concurrent validity, Windmill-task data are compared with W&T data using Spearman
rank correlations (ρ) for 2 conditions: affected hand moving vs less affected hand
moving. Sensitivity and specificity are compared by measuring the mean percentage
of children being assessed inconsistently across both assessments.
Results
Outcomes of both assessments correlated significantly (affected hand moving: ρ=.520;
P=.005; less affected hand moving: ρ=.488; P=.009). However, many children displayed MMs on the Windmill-task, but not on the
W&T (sensitivity: affected hand moving: 27.5%; less affected hand moving: 40.6%).
Only 2 children displayed MMs on the W&T, but not on the Windmill-task (specificity:
affected hand moving: 2.9%; less affected hand moving: 1.4%).
Conclusions
The Windmill-task seems to be a valid tool to assess MMs in children with UCP and
has an additional advantage of sensitivity to detect MMs.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
AH (affected hand), CCCmax (maximum cross-correlation coefficient), MACS (Manual Ability Classification System), MM (mirror movement), MVC (maximal voluntary contraction), UCP (unilateral cerebral palsy), W&T (Woods and Teuber scale), W&Tfist (Woods and Teuber fist opening and clenching), W&Topposition (Woods and Teuber finger opposition), W&Ttapping (Woods and Teuber finger tapping)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 26, 2018
Footnotes
Supported in part by Hersenstichting Nederland, Johanna Kinderfonds, Stichting Rotterdams Kinderrevalidatie Fonds Adriaanstichting, Phelps Stichting voor spastici, and Revalidatiefonds.
Disclosure: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
