What is Cerebral Palsy?

1. What is Cerebral Palsy? • Group of disorders affecting body movement and muscular disorders.

2. Cerebral Palsy

3. Why does Cerebral Palsy (CP) occur? • Damage to the brain during pregnancy may cause Cerebral Palsy. • http://www.ofcp.on.ca/aboutcp.html

4. What are the symptoms of CP? • CP interferes with messages b/n brain and body • Effects vary with individual • Mildest: slight awkwardness • Severest: Virtually no muscle control

5. Brain Damage • Depending on which areas of the brain have been damaged, one or more of the following may occur:  • Muscle tightness or spasms  • Involuntary movement  • Difficulty with "gross motor skills" such as walking or running  • Difficulty with "fine motor skills" such as writing or doing up buttons  • Difficulty in perception and sensation 

6. Associated Problems • The above effects may cause associated problems such as: 1. Feeding 2. Poor bladder control 3. Breathing problems 4. Pressure sores

7. Associated Problems cont. • The brain damage may lead to: • Seizures • Learning Disabilities • Developmental Delays

8. Important to Remember that… • Affected limbs are not paralyzed and can feel pain, heat, cold and pressure • Physical disability is no indication of intellectual disability. • C.P. is not a degenerative condition, damage to the brain is a one time occurrence so it will not get worse.

9. Important to remember that… • People with C.P. have a normal life span. • Is not progressive, the effects of CP may change over time: • Some may improve • Some may get worse

10. Medically it is important to remember… • Is not contagious • Is not hereditary • Is not life threatening

11. Types of C.P. • Classified by the number of limbs involved: • Quadriplegia • Diplegia • Hemiplegia • Triplegia • Monoplegia

12. Classification by Movement Disorders • Spastic: Muscles are tight and stiff • Athetoid: Involuntary movements, constantly in motion • Ataxic: Least common form. Disturbed sense of balance.

13. Spastic • Most common type, occurs 70-80% of all cases. • Spastic Hemiplegia • Spastic Diplegia • Spastic Quadriplegia

14. Spastic Hemiplegia • One side is affected • Injury to left side of brain affects right side of body and vice versa.

15. Spastic Diplegia • Lower extremities are affected • Most people with Spastic Diplegia eventually walk. • Toe walking and flexed knees are common. • Hip dislocations and crossed eyes are common • Often nearsighted • Intelligence is unaffected

16. Spastic Quadriplegia • Whole body affected • Often have hemiparetic tremors (shaking that affects the limbs on one side of the body) • Often have fluid buildup • Tubes are usually inserted into body to drain excess fluids

17. Athetoid • Mixed muscle tone • Trouble holding themselves in an upright position. • Takes a lot of concentration to get hand to certain spot eg. Touching nose

18. Ataxic • Least common type of C.P. • Some individuals have tremors. • Motor skills are affected • Common to have visual and/or auditory problems.

19. Living with Cerebral Palsy • Coping with Disabilities and Handicaps • Is not life threatening

20. Treatment of C.P. • No cure • The earlier the treatment the better • Treatments may include one or more of the following: • Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, drugs to control seizures, alleviate pain, or relax muscle spasms, braces on feet, standing frame

21. Physical Therapy Treatment • Designed to encourage the patient to build strength. • Life long physical therapy is necessary to build muscle tone

22. Occupational Therapy • Helps adults maximize their function in an attempt to live as independently as possible • Orthotic are often prescribed

23. Speech Therapy • Helps to control the muscles of the mouth and the jaw • This affects not only speech but also breathing, biting, chew and swallowing. • Starts before child begins school

24. Chord Therapy • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT4ydxomnQ0 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYS3_qSTvso&feature=related