The Effect of Somatosensory Perception and Proprioception on Upper Extremity Functional Skills in Children with Hemiparetic and Diparetic Cerebral Palsy

Aim: The aim of the current research is to determine the impacts of somatosensory perception and proprioception on upper extremity functional skills in children with hemiparetic and diparetic cerebral palsy (CP). Methods: Children with hemiparetic (n=15) and diparetic (n=15) CP at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) I-III and MACS I-III levels and healthy children (n=15) with a mean age of 10.71± 4.09 were enrolled in the research. Somatosensory perception was evaluated with the Ayres' Southern California Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) sub-parameters, kinesthesia (KIN), touch stimulus localization (TSL), double-touch stimulus localization (DTL), finger recognition (FR), and right-left discrimination (RLD) tests. Proprioception measurements were performed with a goniometer on the shoulder, elbow, and hand-wrist. Upper extremity functional skills were evaluated by the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT). Results: Somatosensory perception and proprioception of the control group were determined to be significantly better than those of both groups with CP (p