What is Cerebral Palsy?

What is Cerebral Palsy?

• Cerebral Palsy: Any brain disorder causing movement disability.
• Cerebral Palsy: A heterogeneous group of nonprogressive motor disorders caused by chronic brain injuries that originate in the prenatal period, perinatal period, or first few years of life. The four major subtypes are spastic, athetoid, ataxic, and mixed cerebral palsy, with spastic forms being the most common. The motor disorder may range from difficulties with fine motor control to severe spasticity (see MUSCLE SPASTICITY) in all limbs. Spastic diplegia (Little disease) is the most common subtype, and is characterized by spasticity that is more prominent in the legs than in the arms. Pathologically, this condition may be associated with LEUKOMALACIA, PERIVENTRICULAR. (From Dev Med Child Neurol 1998 Aug;40(8):520-7)
  Source - Diseases Database
• Cerebral Palsy: a loss or deficiency of motor control with involuntary spasms caused by permanent brain damage present at birth.
  Source - WordNet 2.1

Cerebral Palsy: Introduction

Types of Cerebral Palsy:

Broader types of Cerebral Palsy:

• Spastic disorders
• Paralysis
• Brain conditions
• more types...»

How many people get Cerebral Palsy?

Incidence (annual) of Cerebral Palsy: 2 to 2.5 per 1,000 births (FMC)
Incidence Rate of Cerebral Palsy: approx 1 in 34,000 or 0.00% or 8,000 people in USA [about data]

Who gets Cerebral Palsy?

Patient Profile for Cerebral Palsy: Usually infants. Symptoms typically before age 3. Can occur later due to acquired brain damage.

Gender Profile for Cerebral Palsy: Male and female births equally

How serious is Cerebral Palsy?

Prognosis of Cerebral Palsy: Prognosis depends on the level of brain damage. Not usually progressive.
Complications of Cerebral Palsy: see complications of Cerebral Palsy
Prognosis of Cerebral Palsy: At this time, cerebral palsy cannot be cured, but due to medical research, many patients can enjoy near-normal lives if their neurological problems are properly managed. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Cerebral Palsy Information Page: NINDS)

What causes Cerebral Palsy?

Causes of Cerebral Palsy: see causes of Cerebral Palsy
Risk factors for Cerebral Palsy: see risk factors for Cerebral Palsy

What are the symptoms of Cerebral Palsy?

Symptoms of Cerebral Palsy: see symptoms of Cerebral Palsy

Complications of Cerebral Palsy: see complications of Cerebral Palsy

Can anyone else get Cerebral Palsy?

Contagion of Cerebral Palsy: Not contagious. It is a brain damage disorder cause by some event in the past, not a current infection.
More information: see contagiousness of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral Palsy: Testing

Diagnostic testing: see tests for Cerebral Palsy.

Misdiagnosis: see misdiagnosis and Cerebral Palsy.

How is it treated?

Treatments for Cerebral Palsy: see treatments for Cerebral Palsy
Research for Cerebral Palsy: see research for Cerebral Palsy

Society issues for Cerebral Palsy

Hospitalization statistics for Cerebral Palsy: The following are statistics from various sources about hospitalizations and Cerebral Palsy:

• 0.14% (18,478) of hospital episodes were for cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 77% of hospital consultations for cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 52% of hospital episodes for cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 48% of hospital episodes for cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 40% of hospital admissions for cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes required emergency hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 32.6 days was the mean length of stay in hospitals for cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• 9 days was the median length of stay in hospitals for cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
• more statistics...»

Organs Affected by Cerebral Palsy:

Organs and body systems related to Cerebral Palsy include:

• Brain

Name and Aliases of Cerebral Palsy

Main name of condition: Cerebral Palsy

Spastic paralysis
Source - WordNet 2.1

Research the causes of these diseases that are similar to, or related to, Cerebral Palsy:

• Spastic cerebral palsy
• Spastic hemiplegia
• Spastic diplegia
• Spastic quadriplegia
• Ataxia
• Hypotonia
• Learning disabilities

 » Next page: Online Medical Textbooks for Cerebral Palsy

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