Global Motor, Oral and Deglutition Characteristics in Children with Cerebral Palsy

AbstractCerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder in postural and movement tone resulting from involvement in the motor centers of the immature brain. Thus, this work sought to expose the global motor, oral, and deglutition characteristics in children with CP. To this end, it performed a cross-sectional study of 100 children with CP. The data collection consisted in the detection of the main global motor and oral alterations, their repercussions on the deglutition process, and the main manifestations of dysphagia according to different consistencies of food and types of cerebral palsy. All children exhibited global motor and oral alterations. There were significant differences between age and global motor alterations. Alterations in the tongue mobility were more present in spastics (p=<0.031). The main manifestations of dysphagia, in decreasing order of occurrence were: premature liquids spillage (70%), cough (60%), decreased bolus formation in solids (57,9%), presence of food residues in the oral cavity (47,4%), increased pasty oral transit (47,1%) and presence of wet voice after the liquids swallowing (30%). Therefore, the influence of pelvic instability and compensatory patterns was observed in the presence of clinical signs of tracheal aspiration. Regardless the type of CP, the global and oral motor alterations lead to deglutition disorders. Keywords: Cerebral Palsy. Child. Deglutition Disorders. Posture ResumoA paralisia cerebral (PC) e uma desordem no tonus postural e de movimento decorrentes de um acometimento nos centros motores do cerebro imaturo. Com isso buscou apresentar as caracteristicas motoras globais, orais e de degluticao em criancas com PC. Assim, realizou um estudo transversal com amostra de 100 criancas com PC. A coleta de dados consistiu na deteccao das principais alteracoes motoras globais e orais, a repercussao na dinâmica da degluticao e as principais manifestacoes disfagicas em diferentes consistencias alimentares. Todas as criancas apresentaram comprometimentos motores globais e orais. Houve diferenca significante entre a idade e as alteracoes globais. Alteracao na mobilidade da lingua esteve mais presente em espasticos (p=<0,031). As principais manifestacoes disfagicas, em ordem decrescente de ocorrencia, foram: escape anterior de liquidos (70%), tosse (60%), diminuicao da formacao do bolo alimentar no solido (57,9%), presenca de residuos alimentares na cavidade oral apos a degluticao de solidos (47,4%), aumento do trânsito oral de pastoso (47,1%) e presenca da voz molhada apos a degluticao de liquidos (30%). Entao, observou-se a influencia das alteracoes tonicas e posturais na presenca de sinais clinicos de aspiracao traqueal. Alteracoes tonicas e posturais com comprometimentos motores orais acarretam transtornos da degluticao em criancas com PC. Palavras-chave: Paralisia Cerebral. Crianca. Transtornos da Degluticao. Postura