Upper limb function after intrathecal baclofen treatment in children with cerebral palsy.

BACKGROUND

The literature shows that intrathecal baclofen (ITB) treatment in patients with cerebral palsy (CP) is able to reduce spasticity. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the motor function of the upper limbs in patients with CP treated with ITB.

METHODS

A consecutive series of 20 patients with spastic CP (mean age at implant, 11.4 years) implanted with pumps in our center was studied. These patients were classified using the Gross Motor Function Classification System. The patients were followed up over a 12-month period for assessment of the upper limb function with the Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function scale.

RESULTS

The data show a reduction of upper limb spasticity in all 20 patients (P < 0.05). The Melbourne scale shows a statistically significant improvement of the total score (P < 0.05) and an improvement of the subskills of range of movement, target accuracy, and fluency. Twenty-five percent of patients showed a clinically significant improvement.

CONCLUSION

The subjects with CP of different degrees of severity had an improvement in the quality of the upper limb function and showed overall satisfaction with the results achieved. The study also shows the importance of evaluating the quality of upper limb function in children with CP treated with ITB therapy.