Pathology Flashcards
Describe cerebral palsy
- Non-progressive CNS disorder of posture & movement resulting from prenatal, perinatal, or postnatal (to 5 yrs) damage with multiple etiologies
- Not a specific disease state but a constellation of symptoms
What are some causes of cerebral palsy
- Lack of oxygen
- Difficult delivery
- TBI
- Infection
Clinical signs of cerebral palsy
- Interference of primitive & pathological reflexes
- Lack or distortion of righting & equilibrium reactions
- Alterations in muscle tone
- Sensory motor dysfunction due to sensory deprivation
What are the different types of CP
- Hypotonic: low tone, floppy (total body)
- Athetoid: fluctuating tone (total body)
- Ataxic: low tone, tremors, & incoordination (total body)
- Mixed can be more rigid tone/spastic
- High tone w/selective body involvement (spastic)
- Hemiplegia, diplegia, quadriplegia (spastic)
Gross motor function classification system lvl 1 for CP
- Children walk indoors and outdoors, and climb stairs without limitations. Children perform gross motor skills including running and jumping
but speed, balance, and coordination are reduced
Gross motor function classification system lvl 2 for CP
- Children walk indoors and outdoors, and climb stairs holding onto a railing but experience limitations walking on uneven surfaces and inclines, and walking in crowds or confined spaces. Children have at best only minimal ability to perform gross motor skills such as running and jumping
Gross motor function classification system lvl 3 for CP
- Children walk indoors or outdoors on a level surface with an assistive mobility device. Children may climb stairs holding onto a railing. Depending on upper limb function, children propel a wheelchair manually or are transported when traveling for long distances or outdoors on uneven terrain
Gross motor function classification system lvl 4 for CP
- Children may maintain levels of function achieved before age 6 or rely more on wheeled mobility at home, school, and in the community. Children may achieve self-mobility using a power wheelchair
Gross motor function classification system lvl 5 for CP
- Physical impairments restrict voluntary control of movement and the ability to maintain antigravity head and trunk postures. All areas of motor function are limited. Functional limitations in sitting and standing are not fully compensated for through the use of adaptive equipment and assistive technology. At level V, children have no means of independent mobility and are transported. Some children achieve self-mobility using a power wheelchair with extensive adaptations
Associated problems with CP
- Seizure disorder
- Mental retardation
- Communication disorders
- Orthopedic dysfunction: poor ankle/foot alignment, contractures, decreased ROM, Scoliosis, hip subluxation/dislocation, femoral ante version/antetorsion, tibial torsion
General PT treatment for CP
- Focus on handling to improve function, gross motor skills, facilitating righting, & equilibrium reactions, ROM, strengthening, balance, coordination, gait, positioning, assess DME, AT, & orthotic needs
What is spina bifida & myelomeningocele
- Myelomeningocele: Spinal defect where the dorsal vertebrae don’t fuse; spinal cord protrudes through the hole in spinal column; sensory/motor deficits below level of lesion
- Neural tube defect at 3-4 wks gestation neuro pore fails to close; can be associated with decreased maternal folic acid level & detected by alpha fetoprotein on testing
Associated problems with spina bifida & myelomeningocele
- Hydrocephalus
- Hip subluxation/dislocation
- Seizure disorders
- Club foot
- Urological difficulties
- Tethered cord syndrome
- Cognitive & visual motor difficulties
- Scoliosis with higher level lesions
General PT treatment for spina bifida & myelomeningocele
- ROM
- Strengthening
- Functional skills (transitions & transfers)
- Use of assistive devices
- Orthotics
- Adaptive equipment
Describe arthrogryposis multiplex congenita
- Congenital condition characterized by non-progressive joint contractures present at birth
- Contractures at shoulders, elbows, hips, & knees
- Typical posturing shoulder adduction with IR, hip abduction with ER
- Sensation is intact
- No cognitive impairments
Associated problems with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita
- Decreased ROM, fixed joint contractures
- Muscle atrophy
- Scoliosis
- Hip dislocation
General treatment for arthogryposis multiplex congenita
- Functional activities, gait
- Positioning, ROM
- Splints, casts, bracing
- DME, AT
- Surgical correction
What is juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- Rheumatic disease characterized by inflammation of connective tissue/joints
- Most common pediatric rheumatic disease
- May have systemic involvement (liver, heart)
Associated problems with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- Chronic joint pain
- Hot & swollen joints
- Decreased ROM
General treatment for juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- Medication to decrease inflammation (NSAIDs)
- Exercises & activities to achieve goals
- DME, AT as needed
Define neuromuscular disorders
- Pathology of any part of the motor unit from the anterior horn cell to the muscle itself
Define muscular dystrophy
- A myopathy with mutation in genetic coding for the protein dystrophin (muscle is abnormal)
Define spinal muscular atrophy
- Affects the anterior horn cell (lower motor neuron) causing progressive muscle weakness
Describe Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Pseudohypertrophic)
- Most common myopathy in children
- Affects males x-linked inheritance from mother
- AVOID excessive fatigue and eccentric contractions
Describe Infantile Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Werdnig-Hoffman disease) SMA type 1
- Genetic disorder (autosomal recessive chrom. #5)
- Affects ant. horn cell, hypotonia
- Dx in first 3 months of life, life expectancy 3 years
- Failure to thrive, feeding problems, pulmonary infections, respiratory failure
Describe Chronic Wernig-Hoffman intermediate SMA type 2
- Dx at 3-6 months
- May live to adulthood
- Vulnerable to pulmonary infections