BACKGROUND: About 8,000 babies and infants are diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) each year in the United States. CP is a term used to describe a group of chronic conditions affecting body movement and muscle coordination. It is caused by damage to one or more specific areas of the brain, which usually occurs during fetal development, birth or infancy. The condition is not caused by problems in the muscles or nerves but is instead due to faulty development or damage to motor areas in the brain that disrupt the ability to control movement and posture. Cerebral refers to the brain and palsy refers to muscle weakness. CP itself is not a progressive condition. However, secondary conditions, such as muscle spasticity, can develop and may worsen over time. Early signs of CP usually occur before 18 months of age, and parents are often the first to suspect their infant is not developing motor skills normally. Infants with CP are frequently slow to reach developmental milestones, such as learning to roll over, sit, crawl, smile or walk.

CP is characterized by the inability to fully control motor function, particularly muscle control and coordination. Muscle tightness, involuntary movement, difficulty swallowing, difficulty seeing, seizures, and problems with speech are often found in patients with CP. Other problems that may occur are difficulties in feeding, bladder and bowel control, problems with breathing, skin disorders, and learning disabilities.

TREATMENTS: There is currently no cure for CP, but some treatments can help manage the condition. Experts say treatment should start as early as possible. Certain medications, surgery, and braces may be used to improve nerve and muscle coordination and prevent or minimize dysfunction. As children mature, they may require support services such as personal assistance, continuing therapy, educational and vocational training, independent living services, counseling, transportation, recreation programs, and employment opportunities.

STROKE THERAPY HELPS: To offer help to children with CP, researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham are using a form of physical therapy that is typically used with stroke patients. The therapy, known as Pediatric Constraint-Induced therapy, is a rehabilitation program designed to improve motor function in children with partial paralysis. Children with CP may have one arm that has significantly greater function than the other. Researchers said restricting use of the “good” arm may improve the use of the “bad” arm. In pediatric CI therapy, the good arm is put in a sling to force increased use of the bad arm. The bad arm is trained each day for several weeks. Dr. Edward Taub from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Birmingham VA Medical Center concluded, “Pediatric CI therapy offers hope for the first time to patients with motor deficits due to cerebral palsy.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Dr. Stephanie C. DeLuca
University of Alabama at Birmingham
sdeluca@uab.edu

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