Link between motor impairments and executive or attentional cognitive impairments in people with cerebral palsy: Scoping review

IntroductionCerebral palsy (CP) causes motor deficits, which are sometimes accompanied by cognitive impairment. There are models that suggest interactions between these two domains in various populations. However, for CP, there seems to be a lack of empirical research on the subject. This scoping review aims to synthesize the literature on the specific relationships between motor and executive/attentional functions in people with CP. In addition, it seeks to identify current gaps to guide future research. MethodA systematic search of three databases was conducted. Articles were selected on a double-blind basis according to predefined eligibility criteria. Finally, the results were presented in the form of tables and a narrative synthesis. This scoping review was written in accordance with the JBI manual for evidence synthesis. ResultsEleven studies with different methodologies were included in this review. Relationships were investigated in different ways in each of the included studies. Some articles assessed executive functions and attention in parallel, while others focused on the individual domains. Five of the included studies found significant links between motor and executive functions. Likewise, five studies reported significant relationships between motor skills and attention. However, three of the included studies found no evidence of links between certain of these domains. DiscussionThis work provides empirical evidence of the links between motor and executive/attentional functions in CP. For the future, there remains a need for more high-quality empirical studies to clarify and quantify the specific relationships of motor and executive/attentional abilities.