Prevalence of orofacial dysfunction in cerebral palsy and its association with gross motor function and manual ability

AimTo investigate the prevalence of orofacial dysfunction (OFD) and explore factors associated with OFD in young individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). MethodWe conducted a cross-sectional study on a population with CP in a Swedish county (132 individuals, mean age 14y 2mo [SD 4y 5mo], range 5-22y) using the Nordic Orofacial Test - Screening (NOT-S), Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), and Manual Ability Classification System (MACS). The NOT-S interview was completed by 129 individuals (76 males, 53 females) of whom 52 (30 males, 22 females) also agreed to complete the NOT-S examination. ResultsOFD occurred in at least one NOT-S domain in about 80% of the individuals and was present in all subdiagnoses, GMFCS levels, and MACS levels. Prevalence of OFD increased with increasing levels of GMFCS and MACS from level I=55% to level V=100%. Within the 12 NOT-S domains, the prevalence of OFD varied between 19% and 69%, wherein seven of them were at least 40%: Drooling', Nose breathing', Chewing and swallowing', Face at rest', Oral motor function', Speech', and Facial expression' (in ascending order). InterpretationOFD is common in CP. The use of OFD screening in health service planning would assist detection of areas in need of further evaluation.