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Motor Planning and Execution in Cerebral Palsy

Motor Planning and execution in cerebral palsy

Child Development and Neurology has published research on using magnetoencephalography (MEG) to examine the neural oscillatory responses of the sensorimotor cortices during the motor planning and movement execution stages of 13 children with typical development and 13 children with cerebral palsy (CP). The children had to perform knee extension while MEG recordings were acquired. The following results were recorded: 

1. Children with CP have uncharacteristic beta event-related desynchronization during the motor planning period.
2. The sensorimotor cortices have problems with computing the proper motor output.
3. Children with CP have weaker gamma event-related synchronization during motor execution.
4. The sensorimotor cortices have trouble executing the motor plan.

The researchers concluded that Improving the motor planning stage may improve the final motor performance in children with CP.

Reference: Neurophysiological abnormalities in the sensorimotor cortices during the motor planning and movement execution stages of children with cerebral palsy
Max J Kurz, Katherine M Becker, Elizabeth Heinrichs-Graham and Tony W Wilson
Article first published online: 14 JUN 2014 | DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.12513

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