Measurements & Assessments

The Cerebral Palsy Profile of Physical Function and Global Health (CP-PRO) is a parent reported outcome measure of physical functioning by children with cerebral palsy (CP).  Based on the conceptual framework of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), activity is defined as the execution of specific tasks or actions by an individual.  This definition was used to guide the development of the CP-PRO specificially for physical functioning.  

The CP-PRO assesses different aspects of the ability of a child with CP to perform everyday activities.  It consists of activities organized into domains that assess a child's physical functioning including Lower Extremity, Upper Extremity, Activity, and Global Health.  Each domain includes items with a wide range of difficulty or frequency that are calibrated from least to most difficult or frequent using Item Response Theory (IRT) methods.

The CP-PRO can be administered as a computer adaptive test (CAT) or as a short form (SF).  The CP-PRO is available as a parent report measure for parents (or primary caregivers) of children with CP ages 2-21.

While the CP-PRO measures four domains (lower extremity, upper extremity, activity and global health), each domain is a separate scale.  These four scales can be administered in isolation of each other or in combination, but the scores cannot be compared.

A Short Form (SF) is a fixed (not dynamic) instrument that is administered via paper and pencil (or on a computer but not using an adaptive approach).  A SF contains a small number of items (for example 8-10) from the item bank thought to be highly relevant and that cover a broad range of abilities.  Because a SF is developed from the same calibrated item bank that is used for CAT, SF scores can be compared to CAT scores.  For example, if a CAT domain is administered at one point and the same domain SF is administered to the same child  at a second point in time, the scores from point one (CAT) and point two (SF) can be compared.

The CP-PRO is a patient reported outcome (PRO) instrument in which the parent reads and responds to items independently.  It is not to be administered or completed via interview.