Postural Sway in Children with Diplegic and Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

The objective of this study was to identify the differences in postural sway behavior under different sensory conditions between typically developing children (CG) and children with cerebral palsy (CP) and the differences between children with diplegic and hemiplegic CP using sway metrics that describe the different components of postural responses. The study population consisted of 17 children with diplegic CP, 12 children with hemiplegic CP, and a control group of 20 typically developing children. Center of pressure (COP) was measured using a two-force plate system under different testing conditions. Sway metrics in the time and frequency domains and stabilogram diffusion coefficients were calculated from the COP information. The study findings showed statistically significant differences in postural sway between the CG and the CP groups under all testing conditions. Statistically significant differences between the diplegic and hemiplegic CP groups were found only under challenging sensory conditions. Detection rates increased with the use of multiple sensory conditions and analysis planes. Metrics describing amplitude, regulation, and control of sway under challenging sensory conditions help reveal differences in postural behavior between children with diplegic and hemiplegic CP and CG. The study concluded that a comprehensive set of biplanar sway metrics used during varied sensory conditions improved the detection of underlying postural deficits