Cerebral Palsy

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Cerebral Palsy
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Cerebral Palsy

• Group of brain disorders
• Static lesions in the brain
• Affects muscle activity and tone
• Usually present in infancy
• Severity of problems varies

• Types
• Spastic Increased muscle tone, jerky movements
• Diplegia
• Hemiplegia
• Quadriplegia
• Dyskinetic Affects coordination
• Mixed

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Signs / Symptoms

• Muscle tone
• Spastic (resistant to movement)
• Weak
• Delay in sitting or walking
• Movement
• Jerky
• Slow
• Unusual reflexes
• Contractures
• Abnormal speech

• Seizures
• 1/3 of people with CP
• Vision impairments
• ¾ of people with CP have strabismus
• Weakness of muscles controlling eyes
• Hearing impairments
• Mental retardation
• ½ of people with CP
• Learning difficulties in most others

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Causes of Cerebral Palsy

• Lack of oxygen to brain
• Before/during/after birth
• Brain damage
• Infection (meningitis)
• Head injury
• Bleeding
• Premature birth
• Labor complications
• Genetic condition
• Low birth weight

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Incidence/Prevalence

• 2 3/1000 live births
• Inversely related to birth weight
• Wt lt 2500 g
• 15 per 1000
• Wt lt 1500 g
• 13-90 per 1000
• May be increasing due to increase number of
  premature infants surviving

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Prognosis

• No cure but no progression
• Depends on severity of symptoms
• Improved by
• Early intervention
• Development of ongoing care strategies
• Advances in medicine, therapy, and technology

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Treatment

• Physical therapy
• Orthoses
• Botulinum toxin (botox)
• Baclofen (lioresal)
• Surgery
• Acupuncture

• Goals of treatment
• Increase functionality
• Improve capabilities
• Sustain health

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Cerebral Palsy

• For more information
• http//www.ucp.org (United Cerebral Palsy)
• http//www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/cdd/patients/cereb
  ralpalsyguide.asp (University of Iowa Health
  Care)
• http//www.aacpdm.org (American Academy for
  Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine)