Open research questions in Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorders

What the literature leaves open

• The paper identifies the challenge of early identification of hypotonia as a possible precursor to evolving spastic cerebral palsy. It highlights the need for effective management strategies for early hypotonia. The paper does not explicitly state other technical or domain challenges.

  Early Hypotonia as a Presentation of Evolving Spastic Palsy - A case report · 2026 · DOI

• the review was conducted by a single appraising author, and no formal inter-rater disagreement procedure was required - the strength of transfer from laboratory-demonstrated variability gains to durable, functional, everyday improvement remains inconsistent - the figure of approximately 32% should be treated as a preliminary signal, not an established prevalence estimate

  Divergent Rehabilitation Targets in Pediatric Cerebral Palsy: Asymmetry-Bounded Versus Symmetry-Disrupting Strategies in Hemiplegic and Diplegic Gait · 2026 · DOI

• further research is needed to confirm the prevalence of inter-limb asymmetry in ambulatory children with bilateral spastic CP - studies should investigate the transfer of laboratory-demonstrated variability gains to durable, functional, everyday improvement - research should explore the application of a fully phenotype-based framework rather than a subtype-based framework

  Divergent Rehabilitation Targets in Pediatric Cerebral Palsy: Asymmetry-Bounded Versus Symmetry-Disrupting Strategies in Hemiplegic and Diplegic Gait · 2026 · DOI

• In particular, little is known about how perturbation training alters muscle coordination, limiting insight into the mechanisms underlying training-induced improvements in balance control.

  Rotational perturbation training improves muscle coordination during reactive standing balance in trained and untrained conditions in children with spastic cerebral palsy. · 2026 · DOI

• While no group-level effects were detected, exploratory individual improvements in symptoms and cycling performance were observed in some, supporting further research on tailored exercise.

  Assisted cycling in non-ambulant adults with cerebral palsy: exploratory effects and feasibility in residential care · 2026 · DOI

• However, the impact of balance training on different surfaces on ankle proprioception has not yet been investigated.

  Effects of balance training on different surfaces on ankle proprioception and functional balance in children with spastic cerebral palsy: a single-blind randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

• However, the potential utility of iVR for assessing upper -limb motor function in CP remains unexplored.

  Usability of a virtual reality circle drawing task to assess upper-limb motor performance in children and young people with cerebral palsy: pilot study · 2026 · DOI

• The mid-upper arm circumference-for-age Z-score (MUACZ) is a practical screening tool, yet its diagnostic performance across childhood and adolescence remains insufficiently defined.

  Diagnostic accuracy of mid-upper arm circumference-for-age Z-score (MUACZ) for detecting malnutrition in children with cerebral palsy: a cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

• However, how well physiotherapy practice in managing children with cerebral palsy (CP) is supported by evidence-based guidelines remains unclear.

  Current Practice of Physiotherapists in the Management of Children With Cerebral Palsy in Benin Country: A Cross‐Sectional Online Survey · 2025 · DOI

• However, the potential of immersive VR as a VMI assessment method in children with CP has not been evaluated.

  Visuomotor Integration Assessment Using Immersive Virtual Reality for Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Pilot Study · 2025 · DOI

• Given the current lack of data, using general scales may be a pragmatic first step, with refinement into disorder-specific tools as our understanding of symptom patterns evolves.

  Nonmotor Symptom Scales in Children With Movement Disorders · 2025 · DOI

• In children with cerebral palsy (CP), overall effects of enteral tube feeding as well as the utility of peptide-based specialized enteral formulas in those with gastrointestinal intolerance have not been extensively studied.

  Use of a specialized peptide-based enteral formula containing medium-chain triglycerides for enteral tube feeding in children with cerebral palsy and previous tube feeding intolerance on standard enteral formula: a prospective observational TolerUP study · 2025 · DOI

• Larger studies are warranted to validate these findings and further support the adoption of personalized, socially engaging approaches in therapeutic physical activity settings.

  Attending a one-to-one child-centered movement therapy program improves multiple outcomes among children with neurodevelopmental disabilities: an exploratory prospective cohort study · 2025 · DOI

• Future research should examine the effects of this approach in children of different ages and at different functional levels.

  Effects of a therapeutic suit based on myofascial meridians on postural control and balance in children with cerebral palsy: a multiple-baseline, single-subject study · 2025 · DOI

• However, relatively little is known about the muscle phenotype and the resulting impairments in muscle function of this population.

  A space-gamified approach to examine muscle contraction behaviour in children and adolescents with spastic cerebral palsy: feasibility, acceptability and repeatbility · 2025 · DOI

• However, validation research of activity monitors has often been conducted in laboratories and insight into physical activity of children in their own everyday environment is lacking.

  Monitoring of child-specific activities in ambulatory children with and without developmental disabilities · 2025 · DOI

• There is a gap in knowledge of the practical principles of FCC, and it is necessary to develop a reference model for the practice of child rehabilitation professionals.

  The processes and outcomes related to ‘family‐centred care’ in neuromotor and functional rehabilitation contexts for children with cerebral palsy: A scoping review · 2024 · DOI

• Further investigation into the observed associations is warranted to investigate potential causation and relationships between sleep behaviour, quality of life and screen time behaviour.

  Recreational screen time behaviour among ambulatory children and adolescents diagnosed with cerebral palsy: A cross‐sectional analysis · 2024 · DOI

• Clinicians may make assumptions regarding risk of comorbidities based simply on term vs preterm birth, but this has not been well examined.

  Association of Gestational Age at Birth and Changes on MRI With Prevalence and Spectrum of Comorbidities in Children With Cerebral Palsy · 2024 · DOI

• Governance and financing for rehabilitation are mostly established within health ministries but weakly so, while health information systems are characterized by no available data or data that is insufficient or not routinely generated.

  Integrating rehabilitation into health systems: A comparative study of nine middle-income countries using WHO’s Systematic Assessment of Rehabilitation Situation (STARS) · 2024 · DOI

• Specifically, the variance in rehabilitation potential across MRICS remains underexplored.

  Clinical characteristics and rehabilitation potential in children with cerebral palsy based on MRI classification system · 2024 · DOI

• BACKGROUND: Limited information is available about functioning and related impairments of children and adolescents with Cerebral Palsy (CP) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) like Brazil.

  Functioning profile and related impairments of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy - PartiCipa Brazil preliminary results · 2024 · DOI

• For clinical use, psychometric properties should be studied in various patient groups (e.

  Reliability and validity of the modified shuttle test-paeds to measure cardiorespiratory fitness in children · 2024 · DOI

• Importance: Mental health (MH) issues in children with cerebral palsy (CP) are poorly understood compared with other pediatric populations.

  Mental Health Diagnoses Risk Among Children and Young Adults With Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Conditions, or Typical Development · 2024 · DOI

• There is a gap in the application of the ICF framework in clinical practice among primary care physicians. Prior work has emphasized the importance of shifting from hospital-centered care to community-based, person-centered care models.

  Development of a collaborative rehabilitation education program for primary care: an educational action research approach · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Cerebral Palsy and Movement Disorders

• Prognosis for Gross Motor Function in Cerebral Palsy · JAMA · 2002 · 874 citations
• A Kinect-based system for physical rehabilitation: A pilot study for young adults with motor disabilities · Research in Developmental Disabilities · 2011 · 578 citations
• Clinical Prognostic Messages From a Systematic Review on Cerebral Palsy · PEDIATRICS · 2012 · 524 citations
• Apgar Scores as Predictors of Chronic Neurologic Disability · PEDIATRICS · 1981 · 480 citations
• The Health of Primary Caregivers of Children With Cerebral Palsy: How Does It Compare With That of Other Canadian Caregivers? · PEDIATRICS · 2004 · 366 citations
• Prevalence of Cerebral Palsy in 8-Year-Old Children in Three Areas of the United States in 2002: A Multisite Collaboration · PEDIATRICS · 2008 · 357 citations
• The Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM) · Clinical Pediatrics · 1994 · 345 citations
• Efficacy of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy for Children With Cerebral Palsy With Asymmetric Motor Impairment · PEDIATRICS · 2004 · 345 citations
• Cerebral Palsy Among Very Preterm Children in Relation to Gestational Age and Neonatal Ultrasound Abnormalities: The EPIPAGE Cohort Study · PEDIATRICS · 2006 · 326 citations
• Prevalence of feeding problems and oral motor dysfunction in children with cerebral palsy: A community survey · The Journal of Pediatrics · 1996 · 308 citations

Most recent work

• The effect of neck-trunk stabilization exercises in cerebral palsy: a randomized controlled trial · Minerva Pediatrics · 2026
• Effects of balance training on different surfaces on ankle proprioception and functional balance in children with spastic cerebral palsy: a single-blind randomized controlled trial · BMC Pediatrics · 2026
• Performance of three large language models in answering parent-focused questions on rickets: a dual pediatric–orthopedic specialist evaluation · BMC Pediatrics · 2026
• Relationship Between Postural Control, Quality of Upper Limb Skills, and Functional Independence in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Cross-Sectional Study · Physical & Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics · 2026
• General movement assessment in infants with inherited metabolic disorders · Early Human Development · 2026
• WHO global rehabilitation indicators meet rising health needs · The Lancet · 2026
• Growth of Children With Cerebral Palsy and Health Outcomes · PEDIATRICS · 2026
• Associations between deprivation and postneonatal cerebral palsy over 35 years: a population-based longitudinal study · Archives of Disease in Childhood · 2026
• Incorporating Importance Weights to Measure the Subjective Wellbeing of People with Disability? A Comparison of Several Aggregation Methods · Social Indicators Research · 2026
• Self-reported disability among Norwegian children: prevalence and methodological insights into the relational model of disability · Scandinavian Journal of Public Health · 2026

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