This systematic review looks at all available evidence for pharmacological/neurosurgical interventions for managing dystonia in individuals with cerebral palsy to inform the AACPDM care pathway.
Hypotonic CP, also known as hypotonia, is a form of cerebral palsy that causes low muscle tone. In other words, the muscles are overly relaxed and your child may feel floppy.
Mixed types of CP refer to symptoms that don’t correspond to any single type of CP but are a mix of types. For example, a child with mixed CP may have some muscles that are too tight and others that are too relaxed.
Ataxia affects balance and depth perception. Children with ataxia will often have poor coordination and walk unsteadily with a wide-based gait.
Understanding different gait patterns is important because it can determine what interventions will potentially be the most effective.
Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder that affects how clear and understandable a person’s speech is. Between 50-90% of people with CP have dysarthria.
Dyskinesia is an umbrella term encompassing a range of different movements. These are all movements that can be out of your control. Dyskinesia is very common in cerebral palsy.
Dr. Bhooma Aravamuthan presents Understanding Dystonia: Diagnosis and Treatment at the 2020 AACPDM Community Forum. Moderated by Council Chair, Jen Lyman.
The Dystonia Care Pathway was created in 2016 based on best available evidence and is currently under revision. This link will be updated accordingly. The goal of the these Care Pathways is to help Health Care Professionals understand the research evidence on the topic so that they can make clinical decisions for the care of the individual.
Spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type of CP. People will experience increased muscle tone and their movements may appear stiff or awkward.
People who have dyskinetic cerebral palsy experience involuntary movements that are difficult to control. These movements can be slow, twisting and writhing, or rapid and jerky, and can impact movement in the hands, arms, feet, legs and even the face or tongue.
Do you or your child have movements that are difficult to control? Is your mobility and function impacted by abnormal movements and cause pain? If so, you or your child may have Dyskinesia. If you want to learn more, including how it is treated, please join us on for a new educational Town Hall with experts Dr. Susan Biffl, from Rady Children's Hospital, and Dr. Mark Gormley, from Gillette Children's.
Are you wondering how spasticity impacts movement, mobility and function? What tools do physicians have in their tool box to treat spasticity and how do can you help to maximize the impact of these treatments? This virtual event covers it all featuring two of the leading experts in Spasticity and Spasticity Management.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its recommendations for Primary Care Providers to provide a "Medical Home" for children and youth with cerebral palsy. This comprehensive update gives primary care pediatricians the guidance they need to address the many needs that children and youth with CP experience and coordinate care across disciplines. The Cerebral Palsy Foundation has created a checklist to help guide you in raising your child with CP to living the healthiest life possible and ensure that you and your pediatrician are addressing all of your concerns.
In Everything You Need to Know About Cerebral Palsy, Dion Pincus goes in depth about cerebral palsy to help teens with CP navigate adolescence.
Living With Cerebral Palsy by Paul Pimm describes the varying effects of cerebral palsy, how different people manage to live with this condition, and where to get more information.
Bimanual therapy, also referred to as intensive bimanual training, engages patients in active play or practice to improve the use and coordination of both hands. Bimanual therapy is different from similar unimanual therapies, like constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), because it promotes simultaneous use of both hands.
The GMFCS, MACS and CFCS are all tools used by therapists and researchers to help classify the functional capabilities of individuals with CP. This research article provides evidence of their stability over time.
The GMFCS can be a helpful tool in clinical and research use and has been shown to be stable and accurate over time. It can also help individuals and families better understand cerebral palsy.
In this 2022 episode of "Let's Talk CP" host Jen Lyman talks with neurosurgeon, Dr. Debbie Song, and physiatrist, Dr. Marcie Ward about their role in the care of Cerebral Palsy at Gillette Children's.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Dr. Paulo Selber discuss the ins and outs of gait analysis for cerebral palsy.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Dr. Mary Lauren Neel, MD discuss Life after the NICU.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Chris Modlesky, PhD discuss exercise, fitness, research, research funding and his current research.
Adults with Cerebral Palsy have unique care needs related to physiological changes that occurred with growth and development with Cerebral Palsy, including mental health, yet experience many barriers to proper care.