Why Is Cerebral Palsy Important?

Cerebral palsy is a general term that is used to refer to what is really a range of neurological disorders that affect the muscular system. CP appears at birth or in early childhood, and is not degenerative, meaning that there is no worsening of symptoms. The causes of this disorder are not always known, although it is often linked to a lack of oxygen or brain damage that occurs at birth or as the result of an accident. People with CP can be affected in many different ways. They may have trouble with muscular movement or experience involuntary movements such as twitches or jerking motions. The lack of muscular control can affect the ability to speak, and to engage in fine motor activities; some patients also experience difficulties with auditory processing or learning. CP is not genetically linked, nor is it contagious.

Individuals who are affected by CP have a wide range of severity and types of symptoms, but all are seriously affected. Many of the children who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy are declared disabled by the Social Security Administration, and as such, are eligible to receive Medicaid, Social Security Income (SSI) and special education services. There is no known cause for CP in most cases, although there are certain situations in which it can be attributed to either a lack of oxygen or a known brain injury. CP occurs in just under 2.5 per 1,000 live births, making it the most common congenital health condition in the U.S. today.

There is no cure for CP, so the goal of treatment is to minimize the symptoms of the disorder. Because the manifestations of CP can vary greatly from individual to individual, treatment must be customized to the specific needs of the patient. The vast majority of children with CP will attend some form of physical therapy (PT) to address problems of muscular weakness and rigidity and control. Additionally, most patients will also see an occupational therapist, who works on finding ways to make everyday activities such as buttoning and eating less cumbersome. Many individuals with CP also take medications to address problems of muscular rigidity and control and to treat seizure disorders that often accompany the condition. The cost of such treatment and needed devices such as wheelchairs and speech and orthopedic devices can be quite high, although Medicaid typically covers some of these expenses.

There are three primary types of cerebral palsy, each of which presents distinct challenges and symptoms. Many people with CP will fall into a fourth category, which is "mixed," meaning that they experience symptoms from more than one type. The three main categories of CP are: spastic, ataxic and athetoid. Spastic CP is the most common type and is characterized by muscular rigidity, and sometimes involuntary shaking, that makes movement extremely difficult. Ataxic CP causes the opposite problem, where muscles are flaccid and weak. Patients with athetoid Cerebral Palsy have mixed muscle tone and many have problems with involuntary movement such as ticks, shaking or jerking motions.

Giving a prognosis for development in young children with CP is very difficult. Performance of young infants offer little in the way of clues as to development later in life. Because CP is not degenerative, however, after the age of 3 some prediction can be made as to whether or not a child is likely to walk independently, how much of the body is affected by the disorder and whether there is also any impairment in mental functioning. In general, it is assumed that if a child is not able to sit independently by the age of 4, and does not walk by age 8, that he is unlikely to be an independent walker later in life, although this is not always the case.