Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is the term that is used to describe a group of chronic disorders affecting a person's ability to control his or her movements. According to the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities, about 500,000 people in America have some form of CP and each year 8,000 infants and nearly 1,500 preschool-age children are diagnosed with CP.

The disorder is caused by faulty development of, or damage to, certain areas in the brain that control movement and posture. (Read about "The Brain") The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) says this may happen before birth, during delivery, or after birth. As a result, someone with CP has difficulty coordinating different muscle groups and may have problems with:

• fine motor tasks such as writing or handling instruments
• maintaining balance
• walking
• controlling involuntary movements

The symptoms differ from person to person and may change over time. Some people with cerebral palsy are also affected by other medical disorders, including seizures (Read about "Seizures") or mental impairment, but cerebral palsy does not always cause profound handicap. According to NINDS, the symptoms of cerebral palsy appear in the first few years of life and generally do not worsen over time.

Causes and therapies

Cerebral palsy may be congenital (Read about "Birth Defects") or it may develop after birth. NINDS says potential causes can include:

• head injury in the first few years of life (Read about "Head Injury")
• brain infection in the first few years of life (Read about "Encephalitis and Meningitis")
• jaundice in the infant (Read about "Jaundice")
• Rh incompatibility (in which a mother's blood type is incompatible with that of her fetus)
• rubella or German measles during pregnancy (Read about rubella in "Childhood Illnesses")

Infants with cerebral palsy are frequently slow to reach developmental milestones such as learning to turn over, sit, crawl, smile or walk. (Read about "Child Development")

Doctors diagnose cerebral palsy by testing motor skills and reflexes, looking into medical history, and employing a variety of specialized tests. Although its symptoms may change over time, NINDS says that cerebral palsy by definition is not progressive, so if a patient shows increased impairment, the problem may be something other than cerebral palsy.

Since symptoms of CP vary from person to person, different therapies may be appropriate for different patients. One thing that is a cornerstone of treatment, according to NINDS, is physical therapy (Read about "Rehabilitation"), which usually begins in the first few years of life, soon after the diagnosis is made. The goals of physical therapy are:

• to prevent the weakening or deterioration of muscles that can follow lack of use (called disuse atrophy)
• to improve motor development
• to help avoid contracture, in which muscles become fixed in a rigid, abnormal position

Contracture is one of the most common complications of cerebral palsy, according to NINDS. It can disrupt balance and trigger loss of previous abilities. Physical therapy alone, or in combination with special braces (sometimes called orthotic devices), works to prevent this complication by stretching spastic muscles.

Along with physical therapy, treatments for CP include drugs to control seizures and muscle spasms. Other forms of treatment include surgery, mechanical aids to help overcome impairments, counseling for emotional and psychological needs, and occupational, speech and behavioral therapy.