Motor imagery in children with unilateral cerebral palsy: a case-control study

Aim To evaluate whether children with cerebral palsy (CP) are able to engage in a motor imagery task. Possible associations between motor imagery and functional performance, working memory, age, and intelligence were also investigated. Method This is a case-control study that assessed 57 children (25 females, 32 males) with unilateral CP, aged 6 to 14 years (mean age: 10y 4mo; SD 2y 8mo) and 175 typically developing (control) children, aged 6 to 13 years (87 females, 88 males; mean age: 9y 4mo; SD 1y 11mo). The hand laterality judgment task was used to measure motor imagery ability. Reaction time, accuracy, and the effect of the biomechanical constraints were assessed in this task. Results Performance in both groups followed the biomechanical constraints of the task, that is, longer reaction times to recognize stimuli rotated laterally when compared to medial stimuli. Reaction time means did not differ significantly between groups (p>0.05). Significant differences between the unilateral CP and control groups were observed for accuracy (p<0.05). Functional performance and working memory were correlates of motor imagery tasks. Interpretation Results suggest that children with unilateral CP can engage in motor imagery; however, they commit more errors than typically developing controls. In addition, their performance in tasks of motor imagery is influenced by functional performance and working memory.