About Cerebral Palsy
By Frank Hague

Definition of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is a general term describing a group of chronic
non-pregressive neurological symptoms which cause impaired
control of movement and which are evident in the first few
years of life, usually before age 3. The disorders are induced
by damage or faulty development of the motor areas in the
brain, disrupting the patient's ability to control movement and
posture. Symptoms of cerebral palsy include difficulty with fine
motor tasks such as writing, poor balance and walking, and
involuntary movements. The exact combination of symptoms
differs from patient to patient and may vary over time. Some
patients also have seizures and intellectual disability,
however, this is not always the case. Babies with cerebral
palsy are frequently slower than average in achieving
developmental milestones like learning to roll over, sit,
crawl, smile, or walk. Cerebral palsy is usually thought of as
congenital or perinatal, however, it can also be acquired after
birth. Many of the causes of cerebral palsy that have been
identified through research are preventable or even treatable:
head injury, Rh incompatibility, jaundice and rubella (German
measles).

Diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy

Doctors diagnose cerebral palsy by tests of motor skills and
reflexes and by medical history.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computerized Tomography
(CT) scans are typically ordered when the physician suspects
cerebral palsy; howerer, they are not definitive. These tests
can provide evidence of physical abnormalities such as
hydrocephalus (an accumulation of fluid in the cerebral
ventricles of the brain), and they can be utilized to exclude
other brain disorders. These scans do not prove that the
patient has cerebral palsy; nor do they predict how well a
specific patient will function in the future. Patients with
normal scans may have severe symptoms, and while others whose
scans are clearly abnormal have only modest physical signs.
However, as a group, patients with cerebral palsy are
statistically more likely to have brain scars, cysts, and other
changes visible on scans. When physical examination suggests
cerebral palsy, an abnormal scan helps confirms the clinical
diagnosis.

Even though specific symptoms can change as time passes,
cerebral palsy by definition isn't progressive, so if a patient
shows increasing impairment, the problem is usually another
neurological disorder.

Varieties of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is classified by the type of movement problem
(such as spastic or even athetoid cerebral palsy) or by he body
parts affected (hemiplegia, diplegia, and quadriplegia).
Spasticity refers to the inability of a muscle to relax, while
athetosis refers to an inability to control its movement.
Babies who are initially hypotonic ("floppy") may later develop
spasticity. Hemiplegia is cerebral palsy that involves 1 arm and
1 leg on one side of the body, whereas diplegia is the
involvement of both legs. Quadriplegia refers to symptoms
involving all 4 extremities as well as trunk and neck muscles.
Balance and coordination problems are referred to as ataxia.

For instance, a patient with spastic diplegia has mostly
spastic muscle problems of the legs, while perhaps also
displaying a smaller component of athetosis and balance
problems. The patient with athetoid quadriplegia, on the more
hand, would have lack of control of the muscles of both arms
and legs, however such a patient will usually have smaller
problems with ataxia and spasticity as well. Normally a child
with quadriplegic cerebral palsy will be unable to walk
independently. The degree of impairment can vary from patient
to patient and range from mild to severe.

Cerebral Palsy Therapy

There is no standard therapy that benefits all patients. Drugs
are useful to control seizures and muscle cramps and braces can
compensate for muscle imbalance. Surgery, mechanical aids to
help overcome impairments, counseling for emotional and
psychological needs, and physical, occupational, speech, and
behavioral therapy are all effective.

Prognosis for Cerebral Palsy

Though cerebral palsy is incurable to date, many patients can
enjoy near-normal lives if their neurological symptoms are
properly managed.

Medical Research

There is evidence which suggests that cerebral palsy results
from incorrect cell development early in prenatal life. As an
example, a group of researchers has recently observed that
approximately one-third of cerebral palsy patients also have
missing enamel on certain teeth. Bleeding inside the brain,
breathing and circulation problems and seizures can all cause
cerebral palsy and each has separate causes and treatment.
Researchers are currently conducting trials to determine
whether certain drugs can help halt neonatal stroke, and more
investigators are examining the causes of low birth-weight.
More studies are being done to determine how brain trauma (like
brain damage from a shortage of oxygen or blood flow, bleeding
in the brain, and seizures) can cause the release of brain
chemicals which lead to premanent brain damage.

Organizations Funding Cerebral Palsy Research & Therapy

Easter Seals, Epilepsy Foundation, March of Dimes Birth Defects
Foundation, United Cerebral Palsy, National Disability Sports
Alliance, Childrens Neurobiological Solutions Foundation,
Childrens Hemiplegia and Stroke Foundation.

About the Author: Frank Hague is interested in Medical
Knowledge - http://www.cerebral-palsy-now.info

Source: http://www.isnare.com