Investigate lower extremity's sonsory deficits effects on motor performance in children with spastic diparetic and hemiparetik cerebral palsy

This study was planned to investigate lower extremity?s sensory deficits effects on motor performance in children with spastic diparetic and hemiparetic cerebral palsy, was included 35 hemiparetic, 35 diparetic and 35 healthy children. These groups? mean age were 11,46±4,36 years, 12,14±4,19, 12,83±4,02 years. This study was recorded sensory, balance, timed performance, motor assessment, demographic characteristics. Sensory evalution was included tactile, vibration, two-point discrimination, scratch direction, light touch, pain, proprioception. Motor assessments were applied Timed Up and Downstairs, Timed Up and Go, Berg Balance Scale, Gross Motor Function Classification System, Gross Motor Performance Measure. According to result; tactile, pain, scratch direction were found significant differences between groups (p<0,05). While proprioception was observed significant differences between hemiparetics and other groups, two-point discrimination was found significant differences between hemiparetics and control group (p<0,05). Proprioception, two-point discrimination, vibration senses weren?t showed significant differences between diparetic and control group (p>0,05). Light touch weren?t identified different between groups (p>0,05). Diparetics and hemiparetics were found significant correlation between scratch direction and balance, timed performance, motor assessment (p<0,05). Hemiparetics were identified significant correlation that between proprioception and berg balance scale, between vibration and timed performances, between tactile sensation and Berg Balance Scale, Gross Motor Performance Measure, Timed Up and Go (p<0,05). Although our study was concluded children with spastic diparetic and hemiparetic cerebral palsy of lower extremity sensory deficits correlation with motor performance partially, more research were needed about these correlation. Key Words: Balance, cerebral palsy, lower extremity, sensory-motor impairment