Children with cerebral palsy and periventricular white matter injury: Does gestational age affect functional outcome? Adrienne R. Harvey a,b,c, *, Melinda Randall a,b,c , Susan M. Reid b,c , Katherine J. Lee b , Christine Imms b,d , Jillian Rodda a,c , Beverley Eldridge a,c , Francesca Orsini b , Dinah Reddihough a,b,c a Royal Children’s Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, 3052 Victoria, Australia b Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, 3052 Victoria, Australia c University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia d Australian Catholic University, 250 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, 3065 Victoria, Australia 1. Introduction Neuroimaging, particularly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), plays an important role in the diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) in children (Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe (SCPE), 2000). Advances in neuroimaging over recent years have enabled clinicians to detect specific brain abnormalities in children with CP. Periventricular white matter injury (PWMI) is the most common pattern of brain abnormality in children with CP as shown in three systematic reviews (Ashwal et al., 2004; Korzeniewski et al., 2008; Krageloh-Mann, Horber, Krageloh-Mann, & Horber, 2007). Research in Developmental Disabilities 34 (2013) 2500–2506 A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 28 March 2013 Received in revised form 14 May 2013 Accepted 14 May 2013 Available online 7 June 2013 Keywords: Cerebral palsy Periventricular white matter injury Functional outcome A B S T R A C T This study aimed to determine differences in functional profiles and movement disorder patterns in children aged 4–12 years with cerebral palsy (CP) and periventricular white matter injury (PWMI) born >34 weeks gestation compared with those born earlier. Eligible children born between 1999 and 2006 were recruited through the Victorian CP register. Functional profiles were determined using the Gross Motor Function Classifica- tion System (GMFCS), Manual Abilities Classification System (MACS), Communication Function Classification System (CFCS), Functional Mobility Scale (FMS) and Bimanual Fine Motor Function (BFMF). Movement disorder and topography were classified using the Surveillance of Cerebral Palsy in Europe (SCPE) classification. 49 children born >34 weeks (65% males, mean age 8y 9mo [standard deviation (SD) 2y 2mo]) and 60 children born 34 weeks (62% males, mean age 8y 2mo [SD 2y 2mo]) were recruited. There was evidence of differences between the groups for the GMFCS (p = 0.003), FMS 5, 50 and 500 (p = 0.003, 0.002 and 0.012), MACS (p = 0.04) and CFCS (p = 0.035), with a greater number of children born 34 weeks more severely impaired compared with children born later. Children with CP and PWMI born >34 weeks gestation had milder limitations in gross motor function, mobility, manual ability and communication compared with those born earlier. ß 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author at: Department of Developmental Medicine, Level 3 West Offices, Royal Children’s Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia. Tel.: +61 3 9345 5898; fax: +61 3 93455871. E-mail addresses: adrienne.harvey@rch.org.au (A.R. Harvey), melinda.randall@rch.org.au (M. Randall), sue.reid@mcri.edu.au (S.M. Reid), katherine.lee@mcri.edu.au (K.J. Lee), Christine.Imms@acu.edu.au (C. Imms), jill.rodda@rch.org.au (J. Rodda), bev.eldridge@rch.org.au (B. Eldridge), francesca.orsini@mcri.edu.au (F. Orsini), dinah.reddihough@rch.org.au (D. Reddihough). Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Research in Developmental Disabilities 0891-4222/$ – see front matter ß 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2013.05.030