Cerebral palsy

Question 1

Presentation of cerebral palsy

Answer 1

Tip toe walking
Early hand dominance
Speech delay
Behaviour problems

Question 2

Management of cerebral palsy

Answer 2

MDT care
Appoint a keyworker
Inform local authorities of special educational needs (educational health care plan assessment)
PT/OT
Equipment for posture and to prevent deformity
Monitor growth as high energy requirements
Review: feeding, bowels and bladder, teeth, vision and hearing, communication, spasticity and contractures

Question 3

Definition of cerebral palsy

Answer 3

Persistent disorder of movement and posture caused by non progressive defects or lesions of the immature brain

Question 4

Causes of cerebral palsy

Answer 4

Congenital
Prematurity
Perinatal insults to brain e.g ischaemia, toxins, infection

Question 5

What are the ways cerebral palsy can be classified

Answer 5

Severity - mild, moderate, severe
Severity - gross motor function classification system levels 1-5
Spastic vs dyskinetic (or mixed)
Number of limbs affected - mono, di, hemi, tri, quad
Paresis vs plegia

Question 6

Describe spastic cerebral palsy

Answer 6

70-80%

Pyramidal

Question 7

Describe dyskinetic cerebral palsy

Answer 7

15%
Extrapyramidal
Hypoxia of basal ganglia and thalamus

Question 8

Describe ataxic cerebral palsy

Answer 8

5%
Extrapyramidal - cerebellum
Poor balance and position sense

Question 9

Examples of equipment for cerebral palsy

Answer 9

Seating system
Standing frame
Rollator
Ankle foot arthrosis