This presentation from the 2023 AACPDM Community Forum presents and overview of the interactions between the types of Cerebral Palsy, Mental and Behavioral Health and various medications and strategies to treat challenging mental health disturbances.
In 10% to 15% of cases, there is no clear cause of CP. There is increasing recognition that genetics plays a part, but no standardized approach to genetic testing in patients with CP exists. In this study we asked the question whether both people with and without known risk factors for CP should have genetic testing.
If you or your child have cerebral palsy where the cause is unclear, there are no-cost genetic tests and no-cost genetic counseling that can help answer some of these questions.
This study tested the safety and effectiveness of a neuroscience-based, multi-component intervention designed to improve motor skills and sensory processing of the more-affected arm and hand in infants with CP where one side is more impacted than the other (asymmetric CP).
Speech impairments like dysarthria are common in children with cerebral palsy (CP) which can greatly affect participation across environments. Our study examined how speech impairment severity changes over time in 101 children with CP at 4, 6, 8, and 10 years of age.
When a person is looking for a way to communicate in alternative ways, they need to find something that really works for them. They need to try to find a voice that sounds natural. They want to try to find a way to be efficient. They want to be able to communicate as normally as possible, even though they're not using their biological voice.
Dr. Nathalie Maitre discusses the CPF Early Detection and Intervention Network and helps us to understand how babies learn, how CP impacts the developing brain, and early intervention strategies that can help.
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.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and psychologist Gili Segall, PhD discuss mental health during these constantly changing times and how to create strategies to help everyone in the family thrive.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Christina Smallwood talk about parenting, raising a child with cerebral palsy and helping her learn to advocate for herself.
This study highlights caregiver knowledge and preferences to understanding the GMFCS and how that information should be relayed from clinicians.
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.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Weinberg Cerebral Palsy Center social worker, Jan Moscowitz, discuss strategies for coping with anxiety and depression, especially during times of isolation.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and Dr. Mary Lauren Neel, MD discuss Life after the NICU.
Now you can receive a no-cost genetic test for you or your child sent directly to your home.
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.
Cohort-based whole exome and whole genome sequencing and copy number variant (CNV) studies have identified genetic etiologies for a sizable proportion of patients with cerebral palsy (CP). These findings indicate that genetic mutations collectively comprise an important cause of CP.
CPF Executive Director Rachel Byrne and speech therapist, Kristen Allison, PhD, CCC-SLP discuss communication and Cerebral Palsy.
Can there be a genetic cause of Cerebral Palsy in some cases? Let's Talk CP host, Cynthia Frisina talks with Dr. Michael Kruer about this topic and his ground-breaking research in Part 2 of a two-part discussion about the possible genetic causes of CP. When Michael Kruer was in medical school, he knew he wanted to work with children. With advancements in gene therapy opening up incredible opportunities in neuroscience, he realized he could be a part of something much bigger than himself and give children affected by movement disorders like cerebral palsy hope that didn’t seem possible just a few years ago.
If you're interested in learning more about what is involved with genetic testing and how a visit with a genetic counselor might be helpful, join Cynthia Frisina, the host of Let's Talk CP, as she dives deep with licensed genetic counselor, Danielle Lemke and they talk about what genetic counseling really is, how it can help and what it might be used for as it relates to potential genetic causes of cerebral palsy.
Can there be a genetic cause of Cerebral Palsy in some cases? Let's Talk CP host, Cynthia Frisina talks with Dr. Michael Kruer about this topic and his ground-breaking research in Part 1 of a two-part discussion about the possible genetic causes of CP. When Michael Kruer was in medical school, he knew he wanted to work with children. With advancements in gene therapy opening up incredible opportunities in neuroscience, he realized he could be a part of something much bigger than himself and give children affected by movement disorders like cerebral palsy hope that didn’t seem possible just a few years ago.
An international study recently published in the journal Nature Genetics has provided the first firm evidence that for a substantial number of people, their cerebral palsy (CP) may be caused by a genetic mutation, or mis-spelling in the body’s DNA blueprint.
"In addition to commonly associated environmental factors, genomic factors may cause cerebral palsy. We performed whole-exome sequencing of 250 parent–offspring trios, and observed enrichment of damaging de novo mutations in cerebral palsy cases."
Neuroplasticity is the ability that the brain has to form new connections between different cells or between different areas of the brain.