Cerebral Palsy

Question 1

What is cerebral palsy?

Answer 1

1. NONPROGRESSIVE brain lesion of the cerebral cortex

2. disorder of neuromuscular control of posture and voluntary movement

Question 2

What are possible impairments of CP?

Answer 2

1. speech, vision, hearing, and perceptual abilities
2. seizure disorders
3. hydrocephalus
4. microcephalus
5. mental retardation

Question 3

What are the classifications of CP?

Answer 3

1. hypotonia (low tone)
2. Hypertoina (high tone: spasticity)
3. Mixed or fluctuating tone (athetoid)
   * Tone affects all levels of CP

Question 4

What is the limb involvement of CP?

Answer 4

1. hemiplegia - one arm one leg of same side of body
2. diplegia- both legs
3. quadraplegia- all extremities

Question 5

What are assocaited terms/descriptors of CP?

Answer 5

1. ataxia- lack of coordination

2. dyskinesia

Question 6

What is the incidence and etiology of CP?

Answer 6

1. 2.5 to 4.5 per 1000 births in US
2. caused by prenatal, perinatal, or post natal condition that cuases cerebral anoxia, hemorrhage or damage to cerebral cortex

Question 7

What are the clinical manifestations of CP?

Answer 7

1. alterations in muscle tone
2. delayed motor development
3. abnormal motor development

Question 8

How is CP diagnosised?

Answer 8

1. good history
2. observation
3. neurological examination
4. X-ray, CT, EEG

Question 9

How is CP treated?

Answer 9

1. team approach
2. Medications***
   - skeletal muscle relxants
   - baclofen (oral and pump)- decreases spasticity
   - diazepam (valium)- muscle relaxant
   - dantrolene
3. motor point blocks and nerve blocks
   - botox
   - phenol
4. Surgeries
   - orthopedic surgeries (tendon releases and transfers
   - spinal fusions
   - dorsal root rhizotomy- good for spastic

Question 10

What is the prognosis of CP?

Answer 10

1. normal life span when mild to moderate

2. poor prognosis when severely involved because of secondary complications

Question 11

What are the therapies for CP?

Answer 11

1. direct handling techniques
2. positioning/splinting/serial casting
3. post surgical therpies
4. adaptive equipmet
5. ADL’s
6. Feeding and swallowing