Cerebral palsy, or CP, is the name for a group of neurological disorders that affect how the brain controls body movement and muscle coordination. Diagnosed early in life, cerebral palsy is a lifelong disorder with no cure, yet individuals can learn to lead close to normal lives when provided with proper therapy.
Symptoms
Individuals with CP are unable to properly control and coordinate muscle movement. This results in very stiff (spastic) or overly relaxed muscles and jerky or writhing movements. Individuals may also have seizures; mental retardation; skeletal deformities; or vision, hearing and speech problems.
Causes
CP is caused by damage to the brain before, during or shortly after birth. Brain damage could be the result of an infection (meningitis), lack of oxygen, malnutrition, or drug and alcohol use by the mother. Oftentimes, genetic disorders play a role in the brain's failure to develop properly, leading to cerebral palsy.
Risk Factors
Risks include premature babies, low birth weight, toxin exposure, or children born to mothers above 40 years of age or under 20.
Treatment
Rehabilitation treatment may include physical therapy, speech therapy, spasticity reduction therapy, or use of special equipment such as braces or walkers. Medications may include muscle relaxants, dopaminergic medications or anticonvulsants to relieve muscle spasticity, abnormal movement and seizures, respectively.
Types
There are several types of cerebral palsy, with the most common being spastic, athetoid, ataxic and mixed.
