Category Archives: Cerebral Palsy

What Is Cerebral Palsy? Cerebral palsy (CP) is a problem that affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills. It hinders the body's ability to move in a coordinated and purposeful way Continue reading →

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Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the developing brain before, during or after birth. There are multiple types of brain damage that can lead to different types of cerebral palsy.What Causes Cerebral Palsy? Cerebral palsy is caused by traumatic injury to a developing brain, including the parts of the brain responsible for motor control, coordination and balance. Damage to different parts of the brains motor control centers causes different types of cerebral palsy. The level of disability depends on the severity and timing of the brain injury. There are several incidents that can damage the developing brain. For example, an infection may inhibit the neurological development of neurons and synapses in the brain or trauma may occur during or after birth. Things that can disrupt or hinder the healthy development of a childs brain include: It usually takes up to 18 months to diagnose a child with cerebral palsy, but it could take longer for mild cases. Doctors may use computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to take images of the childs brain. These scans may reveal damage in key parts of the brain that give clues to the cause. However, it isnt always possible to … Continue reading →

Simpson DM, Gracies JM, Graham HK, Miyasaki JM, Naumann M, Russman B, et al. Assessment: Botulinum neurotoxin for the treatment of spasticity (an evidence-based review): report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2008 May 6. 70(19):1691-8. [Medline]. Scholtes VA, Dallmeijer AJ, Knol DL, Speth LA, Maathuis CG, Jongerius PH, et al. The combined effect of lower-limb multilevel botulinum toxin type a and comprehensive rehabilitation on mobility in children with cerebral palsy: a randomized clinical trial. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2006 Dec. 87(12):1551-8. [Medline]. Dai AI, Wasay M, Awan S. Botulinum toxin type A with oral baclofen versus oral tizanidine: a nonrandomized pilot comparison in patients with cerebral palsy and spastic equinus foot deformity. J Child Neurol. 2008 Dec. 23(12):1464-6. [Medline]. Yang EJ, Rha DW, Kim HW, Park ES. Comparison of botulinum toxin type A injection and soft-tissue surgery to treat hip subluxation in children with cerebral palsy. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2008 Nov. 89(11):2108-13. [Medline]. Pascual-Pascual SI, Pascual-Castroviejo I. Safety of botulinum toxin type A in children younger than 2 years. Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2009 Nov. 13(6):511-5. [Medline]. Hoving MA, van Raak EP, Spincemaille GH, Palmans LJ, Becher JG, Vles JS. … Continue reading →

What is cerebral palsy? Cerebral palsy (CP) is a broad term that describes a group of neurological (brain) disorders. It is a life-long condition that affects the communication between the brain and the muscles, causing a permanent state of uncoordinated movement and posturing. CP may result from several problems, such as lack of oxygen to the brain, genetic conditions, infections, brain hemorrhage, severe cases of jaundice, and injury to the head. For more information about cerebral palsy, please call 314.454.5347 or 800.678.5437 oremail us. Many cases of cerebral palsy have unknown causes. The disorder occurs when there is abnormal development or damage to areas in the brain that control motor function. It occurs in approximatelythree out of every 1,000 live births. Risk factors for cerebral palsy include the following: The following are the most common symptoms of cerebral palsy. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. The child may have muscle weakness, poor motor control, or have shaking, also called spasticity, of the arms or legs. Muscle stiffness in the form of stiff legs or clenched fists may also be seen. Cerebral palsy is classified according to the kind of motor function the child may have, including the following: Children … Continue reading →

The symptoms and effects of cerebral palsy vary, depending on the location and extent of the injury to the brain. Your child might have normal intelligence, or have learning difficulties. Your child might have mild difficulties with movement, or be unable to control their limbs. Despite the variations in symptoms, certain effects are common among people who have cerebral palsy. Typical cerebral palsy symptoms include: Primary effects of cerebral palsy may improve with some treatments. As your child grows and develops, the primary effects of cerebral palsy can lead to secondary effects, including: Treatments can often slow or correct secondary effects of cerebral palsy. The primary and secondary effects of cerebral palsy can lead your child to adopt coping responsesways of moving that compensate for challenges. For example, abnormal muscle tone in the legs can result in stiff knees that make walking difficult. Your child might compensate for this challenge by swinging their legs in a circle rather than a straight line when walking. These effects typically improve following treatment of primary and secondary effects, especially if patients undergo rehabilitation therapy as part of a treatment plan. Depending on how much and where the brain is injured, a child who … Continue reading →

Interdisciplinary Team Clinic The cornerstone of our program is the Interdisciplinary Team Clinic. Your family will see a variety of specialists in a single clinic visit. These include Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics; Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; Orthopedics; Nursing; Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy; Nutrition; and Social Work. Testing, such as X-rays or lab work, is available as needed. Your family will also be linked with medical, educational, social and financial resources in the community as needed. During your clinic visit, the team collaborates with the parent and begins the process of constructing a family-centered patient care plan. Nursing and Social Work care coordinators complete the care plans and send to your family, PCP and other relevant agencies. The evidence-based care plan is available electronically and is a road map for future care planning that improves communication and paints a picture of the whole patient. Within two weeks after the visit, the team will provide a referral summary/care plan for the family, primary care physician and/or referral source. The summary includes each providers recommendations and goals; who will do it and how it will be done; and expected outcomes. For your family's convenience,the Cerebral Palsy Program provides several clinic options to meet your … Continue reading →

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in childhood, affecting your brain (cerebral) and the way that you use your muscles (palsy). Children with cerebral palsy have problems with muscle tone, which affects their balance, posture, and their ability to walk and move. Unlike other medical conditions that can affect movement, with cerebral palsy, the problem isn't in your muscles or nervesdamage to the brain itself affects your ability to control your muscles. Many people with CP also have related conditions like seizures (epilepsy), intellectual disability, hearing, feeding, or speech problems, spine changes, and joint problems. CP affects about one in 323 children in the United States. There are four types of cerebral palsy, including: People with cerebral palsy can sometimes have very mild symptoms, such as being a little clumsy when they run. Others can have more severe symptoms like not being able to walk at all, being unable to speak, or having a severe intellectual disability, and may need lifelong care. The symptoms may not be noticeable for many months. In fact, mild cerebral palsy symptoms may not be detected until your child is several years old. Cerebral palsy symptoms that you may notice, and that … Continue reading →

Cerebral palsy, a group of neurological disorders characterized by paralysis resulting from abnormal development of or damage to the brain either before birth or during the first years of life. There are four types of cerebral palsy: spastic, athetoid, ataxic, and mixed. In the spastic type, there is a severe paralysis of voluntary movements, with spastic contractions of the extremities either on one side of the body (hemiplegia) or on both sides (diplegia). In spastic diplegia, spastic contractions and paralysis are usually more prominent in the lower extremities than in the arms and hands (Little diplegia), or only the legs may be affected (paraplegia). The cerebral damage causing spastic cerebral palsy primarily affects the neurons and connections of the cerebral cortex, either of one cerebral hemisphere (contralateral to paralysis), as in infantile hemiplegia, or of both hemispheres, as in diplegia. In the athetoid type of cerebral palsy, paralysis of voluntary movements may not occur, and spastic contractions may be slight or absent. Instead, there are slow, involuntary spasms of the face, neck, and extremities, either on one side (hemiathetosis) or, more frequently, on both sides (double athetosis), with resulting involuntary movements in the whole body or its parts, facial grimacing, … Continue reading →

Cerebral palsy (CP) is used as a blanket term to cover nine forms of muscle and movement difficulties caused by brain damage or malformations in the brain structure. The disabilities caused by CP range from so mild that they are hardly noticeable to severe. Hypotonic cerebral palsy is a form of the disorder marked by floppy (overly relaxed) muscles; hypotonic CP is rarer than the spastic forms of the disorder. Hypotonia means less muscle tone. It can be caused by several factors: cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, Downs syndrome, myotonic dystrophy, Tav-Sachs disease, and Prader-Willi syndrome. Hypotonic cerebral palsy is hypotonia which is caused by brain damage or brain malformation; it is generally congenital (present at birth), but an injury shortly after birth can also cause it. People with hypotonic cerebral palsy have noticeably floppy muscles and no control of their head. The arms and legs hang down like a rag doll. Joints may be lax. Reflexes may be poor, and walking is usually difficult. The condition causes posture problems and may cause breathing and swallowing difficulties. Speech may also be difficult, although intelligence is usually unaffected. Like other categories of CP, hypotonic cerebral palsy is caused by brain damage or … Continue reading →