Introduction: The aim of the present study was to evaluate color perception thresholds and relate them to the\ndegree of motor impairment in children with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP).\nMethods: Binocular and monocular chromaticity discrimination thresholds were estimated for the protan, deutan,\nand tritan color confusion axes in 43 SCP children aged 6ââ?¬â??15 years who were classified as tetraplegic (n = 12),\ndiplegic (n = 16), and hemiplegic (n = 15) without ophthalmological complaints. Motor impairment was rated\naccording to the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) in five levels of severity.\nResults: Analysis of variance showed significantly reduced discrimination in tetraplegic children (p < 0.001)\ncompared with the diplegic, hemiplegic, and control groups. We also found a positive correlation between\nchromaticity discrimination thresholds and GMFCS ratings in all of the groups.\nDiscussion: Chromaticity discrimination thresholds measured psychophysically were reduced for all three color\nconfusion axis in tetraplegic children compared with normal children. Diplegic and hemiplegic children had\nsimilar results as normal children. The finding of a correlation between quantified motor impairment and color\ndiscrimination losses in SCP patients is a new observation that might help elucidate the causes of color perception\nloss in these patients. Visual information is essential for the rehabilitation of CP children. Knowledge of the degree\nof correlation between vision and motor impairment is valuable when planning a rehabilitation program.
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