Assessment for Tactile Perception in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Kai-Jie Liang; Hao-Ling Chen; Kuo-Lun Huang; Ting-Ming Wang; Jeng-Yi Shieh; Tien-Ni Wang

doi:10.5014/ajot.2023.050106

Assessment for Tactile Perception in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Am J Occup Ther. 2023 Jul 1;77(4):7704205050. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2023.050106.

Authors

Kai-Jie Liang¹, Hao-Ling Chen², Kuo-Lun Huang³, Ting-Ming Wang⁴, Jeng-Yi Shieh⁵, Tien-Ni Wang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Kai-Jie Liang, PhD, is Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Occupational Therapy and Graduate Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan. At the time this article was submitted, Liang was PhD Student, School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan.
² Hao-Ling Chen, PhD, is Associate Professor, School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, and Occupational Therapist, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan.
³ Kuo-Lun Huang, MS, is Occupational Therapist, School of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁴ Ting-Ming Wang, MD, PhD, is Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan, and Physician, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁵ Jeng-Yi Shieh, MD, is Physician, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁶ Tien-Ni Wang, PhD, is Professor, National Taiwan University, and Occupational Therapist, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan; tnwang@ntu.edu.tw.

PMID: 37624995
DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2023.050106

Abstract

Importance: Impaired tactile perception frequently accompanies motor deficits in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Assessing tactile perception precisely for children with CP remains challenging because of a lack of assessments with robust psychometric evidence or standard procedures.

Objective: To develop a standardized assessment tool, the Tactile Perceptual Test (TPT), for measuring tactile perception in children with CP and to examine its psychometric properties.

Design: Observational study design.

Setting: University research laboratory and medical center.

Participants: Children with CP (n = 100) and typical development (TD; n = 50).

Outcomes and measures: The TPT includes four subtests measuring stereognosis, roughness, hardness, and heaviness. Three comparator instruments, Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments, Two-Point Discrimination, and the stereognosis subtest of the Revised Nottingham Sensory Assessment, were used for convergent validity.

Results: Good test-retest reliability was confirmed for all of the TPT subtests. The values of minimal detectable change were acceptable. Moderate correlations between the TPT and comparator instruments were found, as expected. For known-groups validity, the significant difference was confirmed between children with CP and those with TD.

Conclusions and relevance: The TPT is a reliable and valid measure for multiple subdomains of tactile perception in children with CP. This tactile assessment may help clarify tactile performance to provide appropriate, precise interventions. What This Article Adds: The TPT measures tactile perception in children with CP. It has four subdomains of tactile perception that could facilitate prioritization of tactile treatment of specific subdomains and thereby aid in the provision of appropriate interventions.

Publication types

Observational Study

MeSH terms

Cerebral Palsy*
Child
Humans
Psychometrics
Reproducibility of Results
Research Design
Touch Perception*