What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most prevalent motor disability diagnosed in individuals during childhood, hampering standard motor abilities essential to leading a high quality of life in those impacted by the condition. This disease has high prevalence, affecting three out of 1000 children. Studies from cerebralspalsy.org in 2021 indicating that 764,000 children and adults are currently suffering from the condition in the United States.
The issue of CP stems from abnormal brain development or brain damage to the cerebellum, which entails an optimal and healthy condition to function as it regulates all balance and coordination commands to direct appropriate motor function in the body. This disease is most commonly diagnosed in infants prior to turning two years of age. Quintessential roots of the disease can be attributed to genetic changes, mutations, maternal infections, and brain bleeds– these can all lead to defects in the cerebellum which give rise to Cerebral Palsy. A lack of oxygen to the brain for extended periods of time during cardiac arrests, traumatic head injuries, and complications during parturition, such as through premature births, are also not an uncommon cause of stunting a child’s brain function; these deficiencies further pave the path for a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy.
As for the severity of CP, it spans across a wide scale, hence, the aftermath of a diagnosis often precarious with an influx of sporadic symptoms. Certain individuals experience limited and mild symptoms subsequent to their diagnosis of CP; their day-to-day lives are not impacted in a drastic manner. On the other hand, some others respond to the disease with great discrepancy, often failing to lead a normal, regular daily routine. They may struggle to perform essential tasks alone, requiring assistance from others and technology to maintain a balance to walk, stand with an appropriate posture, to speak, and to perform other simple motor functions requiring muscle movement such as lifting objects. Those most impacted by the disease may also have to come to terms with expecting seizures, slurred speech, and other disabilities such as epilepsy, blindness, and deafness.
Nevertheless, evidence has indicated that the condition of CP generally remains stagnant, as it is anticipated that following one’s diagnosis, the condition is not expected to progressively exacerbate. This, however, does not discount the gravity of the disease, as the debilitating factors of the disease are destined to remain with an individual for their lifetime, therefore, compromising their ability to lead a promising, high-quality life as they should.
Types of Cerebral Palsy:
There are four types of Cerebral Palsy, with each type presenting various obstacles to the lifestyle and routine of those diagnosed with the condition. These four categories of the neurological disorder encompass a wide spectrum of severity as well, as the complications associated with each category of CP may differ across the person impacted by the disorder and the four respective classes of the disease also arise from different factors formulating defects of the brain.
Spastic Cerebral Pasly is the most common type of CP. It affects 80% of people with CP, causing increased muscle tone and stiffness in muscles. This, in turn, translates to awkward movements in muscles; reflexes are slowed, growth is stunted, and movement is slowed or limited.
Meanwhile, Dyskinetic CP is another type of Cerebral Palsy caused by a brain injury that emerges towards the latter portion of pregnancy or during the earlier stages of birth. A lack of oxygen during birth is the most common cause of this class of CP. Dyskinetic CP leads to abnormal posturing, muscle tone, and other spasms or involuntary movement, further deviating one from the conventional standard of life that they would otherwise lead.
Furthermore, Ataxic Cerebral Palsy, like other types of the neurological disorder, brings about challenges with balance and coordination. Augmenting difficulties with control of movements, it leads to shaky hands, legs, arms, and also causes slurred speech. Similar to other types of CP, the Ataxic form’s impact further relinquishes hope of leading a normal life, entailing increased dependency on technology and others to carry out routine.
Finally, the last type of Cerebral Palsy, Mixed Cerebral Palsy, is often referred to as the most belligerent and hostile type of CP, providing the least promise to those diagnosed with it. As derived from the name, it encompasses a rare yet debilitating combination of more than one type of CP, with all the symptoms appearing simultaneously to varying degrees. Heterogeneous, the symptoms of Mixed CP are erratic and unpredictable, projecting the greatest degree of challenge to living an independent lifestyle of all the types of CP. Therefore, it is regarded as the least favorable class of Cerebral Palsy to have.
How is Cerebral Palsy Detected?
As Cerebral Palsy is a complex disease with many uncertainties regarding the emergence of the many symptoms it may present, it continues to challenge the scope of knowledge that researches and healthcare officials possess regarding the intricacies of it. Aforementioned, most often than not, CP is diagnosed in infants prior to reaching two years of age– a delay in the prognosis of the condition during adulthood is seldom and would be considered an anomaly.
In infants, widespread symptoms of CP revolve around intimations of delay in the development of basic motor activities embodying abnormal activities in rolling over, standing, walking, and sitting. As mentioned previously, variation in muscle tone, swallowing, floppy limbs, and slow movements are other signs of Cerebral Palsy. The symptoms of CP often carry through adulthood too, with difficulty in maintaining a good posture, lifting items, seizures, muscle spasms, uncontrolled, random movements, and other tremors (shaking hands).
Nevertheless, as described before, the symptoms of CP can also vary on a wide scale, with some individuals experiencing little symptoms while others demonstrate severe and concerning indications. Sometimes, the identification of Cerebral Palsy in an individual is delayed until school age due to how mild the symptoms may appear. The type of CP an individual has also plays a role in the timeframe to making a diagnosis; this is the reason additional screening and diagnostic tests through advanced technologies may yield a better result of an individual’s condition. Developmental monitoring, screening, and evaluations to track a child’s growth and development is additionally vital to making an astute and prompt identification of the disorder so that it may be treated appropriately and in a timely manner.
How is Cerebral Palsy Treated:
Unfortunately, there is no cure for Cerebral Palsy at the moment. Scientists and researchers continue to delve deeper into uncharted territories of the disease in hopes of unveiling unprecedented knowledge to provide promise in remedying this disease.
Nevertheless, despite the confining abilities of society thus far in overcoming the challenges presented by this disorder, there are treatment options available to alleviate some of the symptoms and difficulties characterized by CP. This includes surgery, various medicines, braces, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Other tests and diagnostic technological procedures may also be enacted to identify this neurological disorder at an earlier phase so it may be treated promptly, as emphasized in the previous section.
It is of utmost importance, however, to recognize that just like how someone may possess symptoms with discrepancy from another, how one individual responds to treatment may also be different between people.
Cerebral Palsy is a disease that affects many across the globe; we must understand the difficulties and challenges that those with the disorder encounter in their day-to-day life and respect one another to ensure a safe and inclusive society for everyone to lead the best quality of life they can possibly live.
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Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board
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