Applicability of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) for evaluation of children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review

Objective: To examine and synthesize the knowledge available in the literature on the instruments used in the perspective of functionality in children with cerebral palsy (CP), and to review the literature evaluating the instruments used for the implementation of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in children with CP. Method: The search was conducted in the electronic databases Google Scholar, PubMed, Lilacs and Medline, for articles published between January 2006 and December 2012, using the following keywords: cerebral palsy, child and assessment, combined with ICF. Ten articles were selected for analysis according to pre-established criteria. Results: The authors proposed tools that could standardize the assessment for classification of the components “Structure and function of the body”, “Activities and Participation” and “Environmental Factors”, proposing instruments such as Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM), Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Physicians Rating Scale (PRS), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS), Pediatric Functional Independence Measure (Wee FIM), Gillette Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ), Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL), Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI), Gillette Gait Index (GGI), Energy Expenditure Index (EEI), and Vécu et Santé Perçue de l’Adolescent (VSP-A). Conclusion: The domains “Structure and function of the body” and “Activities and Participation” are often classified according to ICF in children with CP, and they present a variety of instrumentation for applicability of classification