OBJECTIVE: To analyze shoulder and elbow flexion movements in the non-affected side of the body in spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) patients and in the side of the body used more often in normal individuals (without motor and/or neurological impairment). METHOD: Six CP patients (18.2 ± 3.7 years old) and six normal individuals (18.5 ± 3.3 years old) participated in this study. Active markers were affixed to the shoulder, elbow and wrist joint centers in order to acquire kinematic data, and surface electrodes were affixed to the muscle belly of the anterior deltoid, posterior deltoid, biceps brachii, and triceps brachii in order to acquire muscle electromyographic data. All participants were asked to flex their shoulder joint in a shoulder flexion task and their elbow joint in an elbow flexion task, as fast as possible, towards a target that was positioned at three different angular distances (25º, 50º and 75º). RESULTS: All participants accomplished both motor tasks and both groups predominantly moved the shoulder to perform the shoulder flexion task. However, to perform the elbow flexion task, the CP patients moved their elbow and shoulder, while the normal individuals predominantly moved the elbow. CONCLUSION: Differing from normal individuals, spastic hemiplegic CP patients did not control distal movements in the same way as done for proximal movements. Therefore, the non-affected side of the body should not be considered normal and, most importantly, both the affected and non-affected sides of the body must be taken in account in any intervention program.
motor control; kinematics; kinetics; electromyography; speed-insensitivity strategy
