Cerebral Palsy

Tia Holmes March 6, 2013

Period 1

Cerebral Palsy

• The “common name” is also Cerebral Palsy, but an abbreviation that people use often times is CP

• Cerebral Palsy is sometimes called static encephalopathy, but this isn’t considered its scientific name

Causes/Transmission

• The causes of CP are all across the board depending on the severity and type of CP the person has.

• Many causes are linked to periods before birth, during birth, or after birth.

• CP is not transmittable from one person to the next

Prenatal Causes- Before Birth •Substances taken by the mother that affects the fetus’s brain or nutrition processes •An infection to the mother during pregnancy that also infects the womb and fetus•Certain chance accidents like a bursting blood vessel in the fetus’s brain or a blood clot in the brain•Some diseases and genetic disorders have been linked from the mother to the higher possibility of having a child develop CP. Ex: Women with autoimmune anti-thyroid or anti-phospholipid (APA) antibodies

Perinatal Causes-During Birth•Tight nuchal cord (umbilical cord around the baby's neck) •Prolapsed cord (cord delivered before the baby)•Bleeding and other complications associated with placental abruption and placenta previa (placenta lying over the cervix)•Any infectious disease passed from the mother to the child that causes neurological damage

These causes are most common in undeveloped countries when a child is born at home without medical assistance or at a facility without modern day technology that developed countries have access to.

Postnatal Causes- After Birth•Only about 15% of cases are linked to postnatal causes•Accidents such as car wrecks, brain damage due to a sever fall or injury, or a traumatic and violent situation have all been linked to cases of a child developing CP•These rare cases of developing CP happen at a very early age, when the brain isn’t fully grown and developed

Target Population

• People who come from a disadvantaged background that cannot afford and have access to proper and modern medicinal resources

• Premature babies are more likely to have a developmental disorder such as CP

• Babies that are born as twins, triplets, etc. are 4 times more likely to develop CP than babies born alone

• No ethnic groups have been associated with a higher change or percentage of diagnosis

Types/Affects of CP

• Ataxic CP is when a person has difficulty performing voluntary movements, from picking up an object to walking across a room. It occurs when there is physical damage to the brain that interrupts signals traveling from it to various parts of the body.

Types/Affects of CP

• The athetoid/dyskinetic form of CP is associated with a defect in the system of the brain that produces dopamine, and results in difficulty keeping still, balance, and fine motor skills

Types/Affects of CPSpastic CP:•The most common of all types of cerebral palsy•Makes up between 70 and 80 percent of all diagnosed cases.•Damage to the motor cortex in the brain that affects the nervous system and control over muscle groups•Spastic cerebral palsy is area-sensitive, and often affects a certain part of the brain, which translates into difficulties in certain parts of the body

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Symptoms

• The symptoms vary from case to case but common symptoms include:– Lack of muscle control (ex: weak or tight)– Speech impediments– Fine motor skill difficulties – Lack of inner strength and self support – Balance is usually off centered

Prognosis

• Cerebral Palsy is not considered a terminal disorder

• However, severe cases of CP have been linked to shorter lifespans because the body is some times more susceptible to disease and sickness due to a weak immune system or lack of exercise and good nutrition in people with CP

Cure/Treatment

• CP currently has no cure• Treatment and surgeries include those that

loosen joints or muscles in a person with CP• Physical Therapy, exercise, and living life to

one’s full potential are the best and most effective methods of helping the symptoms get better

CP Celebrities• Abbey Nicole Curran • Anne McDonald• Bonner Paddock • Chris Fonseca• Chris Nolan• Christy Brown• Dan Keplinger• Eric Gore• Geri Jewell• Jerry Traylor• Stephen Wampler• And More!

Dr. Janice Brunstrom

• Pediatric neurologist specializing in Cerebral Palsy at St. Louis Children's Hospital and Washington University

• Only pediatric neurologist in the U.S. who also has Cerebral Palsy, and she is one of the leading scientists in CP research

• She started and leads the only comprehensive pediatric CP Center in the country

Organizations/Medical Facilities

• American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM): AACPDM is a multidisciplinary scientific society devoted to the study of cerebral palsy and other childhood onset disabilities

Organizations/Medical Facilities

• United States Cerebral Palsy Athletic Association (USCPAA): Formed in 1987 and formulates the rules, implements policies and procedures, conducts national championships in twelve sports, disseminates safety and sports medicine information and selects the athletes to represent the United States in international competition

References

Polzin, S. J. (2005). Cerebral Palsy. In B. Narins (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders (2nd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 226-232). Detroit: Gale.

Tran, M., Odle, T. G., & Newton, D. E. (2009). Cerebral Palsy. In L. J. Fundukian (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine (3rd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 440-446). Detroit:

Gale.